My recent visit to Zurich was so brief that I had to choose between a boat trip on Lake Zurich (Zurichsee) and a train ride up the Uetliberg mountain. My son and his partner had, before my arrival, made a trip to Lake Lucerne and Mount Pilatus, so they insisted I make the choice. Although I have always been a lover of land rather than a lover of water, I picked the trip on the lake. It may have had something to do with the heat and the idea that the air might be fresher on the water, but I certainly didn't regret my decision.
Lake Zurich extends thirty-nine kilometres from the city of Zurich, which is at its northernmost point. From there it is drained by the River Limmat. The lake covers an area of about eighty-eight square kilometres. Its waters are surprisingly clean and are purified before being used in the city's water system.
The Zurichsee Schiffahrt company runs boat trips of various durations on Lake Zurich. As time was limited, we chose a trip that lasted just one hour at a cost of ten Swiss Francs each (about £6.50). We paid by debit card and had the choice of paying in sterling or local currency. This particular trip set off at ten minutes past noon, and you could sit inside and have lunch if you wanted to for an extra cost. The weather was beautiful and we wanted to admire the views, so we decided to sit outside on the front deck. It wasn't particularly crowded and we were able to move around easily and take photographs; towards the end of the trip passengers who had finished lunch did wander out on deck and fill up most of the seats. Even though the temperature was just over 30 degrees Celsius, the breeze on the lake made the sun quite bearable.
What did surprise me was how built up the shoreline areas that we saw were, although I understand there are stretches further south that are more rural. When I thought about it, though, I should have expected it to be well populated as it is so picturesque and obviously a very desirable part of the world to live in. As well as residential housing we saw vineyards, a park, the Lindt and Sprungli chocolate factory and areas for bathing. To the south there are layer upon layer of mountains. The view of Zurich as we returned was a striking one with the twin towers of the Grossmunster (cathedral) as always dominating the skyline.
Had time not been so restricted, it would have been possible to take a trip to Rapperswil, the 'town of roses' on the eastern side of the lake. This could be a day trip, or we might have made an overnight stay. There are also evening boat trips lasting several hours with musical entertainment. What I would find most enticing, however, would be a trip to the island of Ufnau where there is a church and a chapel that each warrant a visit as well as a restaurant. Ufnau is, however, a protected area so bathing is prohibited. There is another island in Lake Zurich called Lutzelau, but this is smaller than Ufnau and I am not sure whether it is possible to land there.
If you are visiting Zurich in fine weather, I would say that a trip of some description on Lake Zurich should be high on your agenda. It is a chance to relax and rest your feet if you have been walking round the cobbled streets of the old town. The views may not have been quite as spectacular as those from the summit of the Uetliberg mountain, but they were still memorable. If I'm lucky enough to go back to Zurich one day, I'll hope to have enough time for the lake and the mountain.
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Advantages: One of the most beautiful countries in the world, very diverse, very high standards, brilliant services all round Disadvantages: The prices! No really, the prices! Some of the people can be very insular.
tommartin 29.01.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Lake Zurich
Advantages: One of the most beautiful countries in the world, very diverse, very high standards, brilliant services all round Disadvantages: The prices! No really, the prices! Some of the people can be very insular.
tommartin 29.01.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Lake Zurich
Oct 6th, 2009
(Oct 9th, 2009)
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