Zurich's summer break runs five weeks, and most of it happens by the water. Families spend hot days at the Badis, the city's lake and river lidos, jumping off diving towers and swimming out to rafts, then ride a public lake boat home. On cooler days there are rope parks, a toboggan run and day trips by train. Here's what we checked, from Strandbad Mythenquai to the Rhine Falls.
The Bundesfeier is Zurich's official Swiss National Day party, held in the Stadthausanlage by the lake. A parade winds from Lindenhof through the Old Town to the park, then a ceremony brings alphorns, a yodel choir, a brass band, salute shots from a historic militia and everyone singing the Swiss anthem.
Afterward the family afternoon takes over, with kids' entertainment, music and food stalls from different cantons.
Zürcher Theater Spektakel is Zurich's big theater festival, heading into its 48th edition. It gathers many separate performances under one name on the Landiwiese meadow in Wollishofen, so a family can pick the shows that fit.
It suits kids who are curious about live theater and can sit through a performance. The next program is not out yet, so read each show's listing before booking with younger children.
A city-run lido on Lake Zurich with a sandy beach, rafts to swim out to, a non-swimmer area in the lake and a diving tower with 1, 3 and 5 meter boards. Younger kids get a paddling pool with sun umbrellas and water play, plus a playground.
A big lawn, barbecue spots, table tennis, slacklines, stand-up paddleboarding and food from Hiltl am Strand fill the rest.
A city-run lake lido on the Zürichsee with a big lawn, a 62-meter slide and diving boards at 1, 3 and 5 meters. Younger kids get a shaded paddling pool, water play, a playground and a roped non-swimmer ring 22 meters across, out in the lake.
Away from the water there are grill spots, table tennis, volleyball, a basketball hoop, small soccer goals, garden chess and stand-up paddleboards.
Freibad Letzigraben is a city outdoor pool designed by writer and architect Max Frisch in the late 1940s, set in park-like gardens beside Letzigrund stadium. Older kids swim the 50-meter pool, ride the wave pool and jump from a diving tower up to 10 meters. Younger ones get a current channel, water play, a small slide, a shaded paddling pool and a playground.
Seebad Katzensee is a city-run lake bath on the Katzensee, set inside a nature reserve in Affoltern. It has a large sunbathing lawn, barbecue spots, a kiosk, and a children's area with water play.
Swimming is allowed only inside the bath, since the lake and shore outside it are a protected zone. Air mattresses, rubber boats and paddleboards are banned on the whole lake.
ZSG runs the public boats on Lake Zurich and the River Limmat: 17 ships calling at 31 landing stages, all part of the ZVV transit network. Lake round trips leave from the Bürkliplatz pier, from a short loop to a half-day cruise. River boats on the Limmat start at the Landesmuseum. The «ZSG Tour» audio guide app narrates the mini lake and river cruises.
A high-ropes park in the Hardwald forest at Kloten, with 210 obstacles and about 2.5 km of ziplines strung between the trees. Courses are graded from a low green route for the youngest climbers to hard ones for teens and adults, and the newest, Melody, opened in 2024. Every climb starts with a safety briefing.
The park also runs archery, and has a kiosk and grill spots for guests.
Conny-Land is a theme park in Thurgau with roller coasters, water rides and a sea lion show. Big kids head for the Cobra coaster, the Antares vertical coaster and a Space Shot tower that launches riders almost 60 meters up.
Smaller kids get the Cobralino kiddy coaster, Flying Elephants, radio boats and a splash playground. Covered rides like Dino Attack and Crazy Professor keep a wet day going.
Rhine Falls is the most powerful waterfall in Europe, 150 meters wide and 23 meters high. From Schloss Laufen castle, a footpath and steep, narrow stairs lead past the thundering water to the Fischetz viewing platform.
Boats cross the basin and run out to the rock in the middle of the falls, which visitors can climb. A riverside path loops around the whole basin.
A treetop rope park in the forest beside the Rhine Falls, with over 165 climbing elements and 1.5 km of ziplines, two of which look straight onto the falls.
Younger kids clip onto a continuous line on two low courses that end in fast ziplines, with a parent following on the ground. Older kids work up from green to black across 14 bigger courses.
Stein am Rhein is a small medieval town where the Rhine flows out of the Untersee, the western end of Lake Constance. Its timber-framed houses, some from the 15th and 16th centuries, are covered in painted frescoes, and winding lanes lead to the market square.
Kids can climb to Hohenklingen Castle for the view, visit the museum in the old Benedictine abbey, or watch boats from the riverside promenade.
Atzmännig is a family leisure area in the Goldingertal valley, with a chairlift up to Alp Atzmännig at 1,200 m. The leisure park has a 700 m toboggan run with tunnels and banked curves, a slide tower with six chutes, mini electric cars, a petting zoo, a playground, and a rope park with eight courses plus three for kids.
Winter brings ski lifts, a sledding run and a snowshoe trail.
Josefwiese is a 1920s people's park beside the Viadukt arches in Zürich-West, laid out for play and sport rather than strolling. Kids get climbing frames and a paddling pool with water play.
The big lawn is for picnics, football and sunbathing, plus pétanque, table tennis, a beach volleyball court and a barbecue spot. A kiosk sells salads, grilled food and drinks.
Zurich's summer break runs five weeks, and most of it happens by the water. Families spend hot days at the Badis, the city's lake and river lidos, jumping off diving towers and swimming out to rafts, then ride a public lake boat home. On cooler days there are rope parks, a toboggan run and day trips by train. Here's what we checked, from Strandbad Mythenquai to the Rhine Falls.
The Bundesfeier is Zurich's official Swiss National Day party, held in the Stadthausanlage by the lake. A parade winds from Lindenhof through the Old Town to the park, then a ceremony brings alphorns, a yodel choir, a brass band, salute shots from a historic militia and everyone singing the Swiss anthem.
Afterward the family afternoon takes over, with kids' entertainment, music and food stalls from different cantons.
Zürcher Theater Spektakel is Zurich's big theater festival, heading into its 48th edition. It gathers many separate performances under one name on the Landiwiese meadow in Wollishofen, so a family can pick the shows that fit.
It suits kids who are curious about live theater and can sit through a performance. The next program is not out yet, so read each show's listing before booking with younger children.
A city-run lido on Lake Zurich with a sandy beach, rafts to swim out to, a non-swimmer area in the lake and a diving tower with 1, 3 and 5 meter boards. Younger kids get a paddling pool with sun umbrellas and water play, plus a playground.
A big lawn, barbecue spots, table tennis, slacklines, stand-up paddleboarding and food from Hiltl am Strand fill the rest.
A city-run lake lido on the Zürichsee with a big lawn, a 62-meter slide and diving boards at 1, 3 and 5 meters. Younger kids get a shaded paddling pool, water play, a playground and a roped non-swimmer ring 22 meters across, out in the lake.
Away from the water there are grill spots, table tennis, volleyball, a basketball hoop, small soccer goals, garden chess and stand-up paddleboards.
Freibad Letzigraben is a city outdoor pool designed by writer and architect Max Frisch in the late 1940s, set in park-like gardens beside Letzigrund stadium. Older kids swim the 50-meter pool, ride the wave pool and jump from a diving tower up to 10 meters. Younger ones get a current channel, water play, a small slide, a shaded paddling pool and a playground.
Seebad Katzensee is a city-run lake bath on the Katzensee, set inside a nature reserve in Affoltern. It has a large sunbathing lawn, barbecue spots, a kiosk, and a children's area with water play.
Swimming is allowed only inside the bath, since the lake and shore outside it are a protected zone. Air mattresses, rubber boats and paddleboards are banned on the whole lake.
ZSG runs the public boats on Lake Zurich and the River Limmat: 17 ships calling at 31 landing stages, all part of the ZVV transit network. Lake round trips leave from the Bürkliplatz pier, from a short loop to a half-day cruise. River boats on the Limmat start at the Landesmuseum. The «ZSG Tour» audio guide app narrates the mini lake and river cruises.
A high-ropes park in the Hardwald forest at Kloten, with 210 obstacles and about 2.5 km of ziplines strung between the trees. Courses are graded from a low green route for the youngest climbers to hard ones for teens and adults, and the newest, Melody, opened in 2024. Every climb starts with a safety briefing.
The park also runs archery, and has a kiosk and grill spots for guests.
Conny-Land is a theme park in Thurgau with roller coasters, water rides and a sea lion show. Big kids head for the Cobra coaster, the Antares vertical coaster and a Space Shot tower that launches riders almost 60 meters up.
Smaller kids get the Cobralino kiddy coaster, Flying Elephants, radio boats and a splash playground. Covered rides like Dino Attack and Crazy Professor keep a wet day going.
Rhine Falls is the most powerful waterfall in Europe, 150 meters wide and 23 meters high. From Schloss Laufen castle, a footpath and steep, narrow stairs lead past the thundering water to the Fischetz viewing platform.
Boats cross the basin and run out to the rock in the middle of the falls, which visitors can climb. A riverside path loops around the whole basin.
A treetop rope park in the forest beside the Rhine Falls, with over 165 climbing elements and 1.5 km of ziplines, two of which look straight onto the falls.
Younger kids clip onto a continuous line on two low courses that end in fast ziplines, with a parent following on the ground. Older kids work up from green to black across 14 bigger courses.
Stein am Rhein is a small medieval town where the Rhine flows out of the Untersee, the western end of Lake Constance. Its timber-framed houses, some from the 15th and 16th centuries, are covered in painted frescoes, and winding lanes lead to the market square.
Kids can climb to Hohenklingen Castle for the view, visit the museum in the old Benedictine abbey, or watch boats from the riverside promenade.
Atzmännig is a family leisure area in the Goldingertal valley, with a chairlift up to Alp Atzmännig at 1,200 m. The leisure park has a 700 m toboggan run with tunnels and banked curves, a slide tower with six chutes, mini electric cars, a petting zoo, a playground, and a rope park with eight courses plus three for kids.
Winter brings ski lifts, a sledding run and a snowshoe trail.
Josefwiese is a 1920s people's park beside the Viadukt arches in Zürich-West, laid out for play and sport rather than strolling. Kids get climbing frames and a paddling pool with water play.
The big lawn is for picnics, football and sunbathing, plus pétanque, table tennis, a beach volleyball court and a barbecue spot. A kiosk sells salads, grilled food and drinks.
