RunCity

Zürich on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 10 of Zürich's best-known sights, including Zürich Hauptbahnhof, Lindenhof, St. Peter church and more. It is about 5.5 km on foot, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Zürich leaderboard.

  • 10Stops
  • about 5.5 kmDistance
  • 2 hoursWalking
  • about 53 minRunning
Play Zürich in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Zürich
Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de

Zürich's old town lies on both banks of the Limmat where it leaves the lake, and this route covers it in about 5.5 km. It starts at the Hauptbahnhof, where most visitors arrive, and climbs to the Lindenhof, a shady hilltop square over the old town roofs. St. Peter's church has the largest church clock face in Europe, and the Fraumünster's slim green spire hides a set of Chagall windows inside.

Paradeplatz, at the top of Bahnhofstrasse with its banks and chocolate shops, leads across the river to the twin towers of the Grossmünster and up to the Kunsthaus, with Rodin's Gates of Hell in front. Sechseläutenplatz in front of the Opera and Bürkliplatz on the lake, with the Alps in the distance on clear days, lead to the bonus stop, the Chinese Garden on the eastern shore. In summer, the river and lake baths are free or cheap, and tap water from the city's many fountains is drinkable.

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Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Zürich Hauptbahnhof

    Zürich Hauptbahnhof

    The main station and its big hall, where most visitors arrive.

    Photo: Ikiwaner · CC BY-SA 3.0

  2. Lindenhof

    Lindenhof Photo

    The shady hilltop square with a view over the old town rooftops.

    Photo: roland zh · CC BY-SA 3.0

  3. St. Peter church

    St. Peter church Photo

    The tower with the largest church clock face in Europe.

    Photo: Photones · CC BY-SA 3.0

  4. Fraumünster

    Fraumünster

    The slim green spire of the former abbey church.

    Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas · CC BY-SA 3.0

  5. Paradeplatz

    Paradeplatz

    The tram crossroads at the top of Bahnhofstrasse.

    Photo: Photo: Andreas Praefcke · CC BY 3.0

  6. Grossmünster

    Grossmünster Photo

    The twin towers of the Grossmünster, seen from across the Limmat.

    Photo: Roland zh · CC BY-SA 3.0

  7. Kunsthaus Zürich

    Kunsthaus Zürich

    The art museum with Rodin's Gates of Hell in front.

    Photo: Roland zh · CC BY-SA 3.0

  8. Sechseläutenplatz

    Sechseläutenplatz Photo

    The wide stone square in front of the Opera House.

    Photo: Roland zh · CC BY-SA 3.0

  9. Bürkliplatz

    Bürkliplatz Photo

    The lake shore with boats and the Alps in the distance.

    Photo: Roland zh · CC BY-SA 3.0

  10. Chinese Garden

    Chinese Garden Bonus

    A quiet pavilion garden on the lake shore.

    Photo: Roland zh, upload on 14. Februar 2009 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Play Zürich in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Zürich on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 10 stops on this route add up to about 5.5 km, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Zürich is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Zürich?

    Open Zürich in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Zürich leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Zürich Hauptbahnhof and finishing at Chinese Garden. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

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