Zurich, though a very green city with a crystal-clear lake and river and surrounded by rolling hills, has surprisingly few (and small) parks. So the few that exist are consistently packed from April to October.

Bäckeranlage, lovingly abbreviated to Bäcki by pretty much every local, is a fine example of a typical Zurich park: small, with beautiful old trees, a café, a playground and hordes of people sunbathing, picknicking and BBQing to their hearts’ content whenever a few rays of sunshine find their way through the clouds. Bring your own BBQ if you want to join in the fun.

This being the very heart of Kreis 4, it is also a magnet for the many young families that live in the area. You get a great mix of people and everyone just gets along with everyone else – live and let live style.

The on-site café offers simple meals, cake and coffee all year round, and in the summer months they occasionally organise outdoor gigs with local bands. It’s great to go there for the atmosphere alone, and the same is true for Bäcki in general.