Music

When the temperatures rises, you find the majority of Zurich’s inhabitants near the water. Just five minutes from the main station is the pool area Oberer Letten, located at the Limmat. Floating in the river is one of the best feelings you’ll ever experience!

On the left hand side you’ll see a concrete construction from 1952 which is also called PierWest; that’s where you’ll find the changing rooms as well as a bar. (The picture is taken upstream, so it’s just the other way around). This side is for all who prefer shade and who like it a bit quieter. However, at dusk this area turns into a barbecue place / bar with music and the perfect chill-out area.

On the right hand side of the river there’s a patch of grass – though it’s generally so packed that it’s hard to make out the green between all the bodies. On one side of this patch is a (rather over priced) restaurant and on the other a beach-volley court. Here the young and hip meet after work for a swim and a chat.

To swim in the river, it’s best to walk upstream and then to float down, up to 400 m all in all. There are several ladders where you can leave the water within the pool area so you don’t have to worry about a thing.

Although Gessnerallee has been the home of avant-garde theatre in Zurich for more than twenty years, its foyer became Stall 6 – a thriving bar and club – just a few years ago. The former stable appeals to those looking to avoid the clichés and genres of Zurich’s nightclubs.

Banishing clubbing stereotypes in Zurich is tough, yet the varied music styles at Stall 6 mean the club has no set clientele and is one of the few places in Zurich where you never feel out of place no matter what you wear. The organisers are also not interested in a set concept for the club. It’s therefore possible to find reggae on a Monday, funk and soul on weeknights, and electro at the weekend. Alternatively, grab a programme and seek out a Hum Rush party, where you’ll hear all music styles in one night.

Situated in the foyer of Gessnerallee, Stall 6 makes a feature of elements of its past, when the building belonged to the military – such as the horse’s feeding troughs. With visitors ranging from theatregoers to night owls, the audience is constantly changing and the place is never empty; you can even start clubbing at 23:00 if you like, as you’re unlikely to walk into a deserted club.

Sometimes installations from the theatre make their way over to Stall 6, adding to its unique atmosphere, and the generous space offers ample room for groups to arrive at any time without a reservation.

Für Dich – meaning ‘for you’ – has earned its name by becoming the favourite haunt for its neighbourhood since its launch in September 2008. Several regulars have even gone as far as getting an anchor tattoo done in homage to the anchor hidden in the café’s logo (which is also the symbol for Aussersihl, the district in Zurich where the bar is located). It’s a great bar because it’s located right next to Bäckeranlage and you get a feeling of spaciousness.

The four founders did the entire renovation itself, from planning to building and furnishing, which took them six months in total to complete. This allowed time for some spontaneous decisions, such as leaving one wall bare after the tiles were removed or adding gold foil to another.

The result is an open, spacious, rather simple venue with large windows, which nevertheless radiates warm th due to a preponderance of wood (floor, bar, tables and chairs) and the red children’s corner with a huge blackboard that turns into a comfortable lounge area at night. This is a place to linger and a few times per month there are bands playing (unplugged) there too.

Saturdays and Sundays are dedicated to breakfast: On Saturday you get the choice between for different kind of morning meals and on Sunday you’ll find an all you can eat buffet with pancakes, bread, jam, cereal, cake and pies.

The café is now also a small pension, where you’ll find three rooms, starting at CHF 120 for two people.

La Catrina calls itself the first real Mexican bar in Zurich although you won’t find any sombreros and ponchos. It’s a tiny place but every Tuesday and Thursday manages to squeeze in a band. The acts vary from local bands to international gems and the best, entry is for free.

I came across La Catrina because a good friend of mine was hosting his birthday party there. Before that I wasn’t even aware of this venue as it lies a bit hidden in a side street.

The bar is really small but has a great atmosphere. Skulls and dolls are omnipresent but make the crammed space very cozy (which you wouldn’t expect when you read the word ‘skulls’). The list of served drinks is long but their specialties are, of course, first class tequila and margarita.

Patrick, the driving force behind La Catrina, grew up in Mexico and frequently mentioned that he misses REAL Mexican food. As no one else filled that gap, he recently to open the first original Mexican Cantina in Zurich: El Luchador at Konradstrasse 69.

The bar and restaurant Nordbrücke, open since May 2008, is just beside the local train station Wipkingen and is great for Saturday afternoons. Buy your fresh vegetables, fruit and flowers at the nearby stall and then spend the rest of your time enjoying a beer or a coffee in the former train station buffet, while you watch people pass by. It’s a place to go for drinks or coffee, but also a good address to get some food, especially over lunch.Combining old (they simply varnished the nicotine-stained walls, kept the tables and chairs, and added comfort with Biedermeier sofas) with new (a blue/green fitted bar and new lighting system), the venue still has an air of train station buffet, but with a contemporary feel. But when the sun is shinning you’ll be on one of the two terraces anyway.

The big windows are great for people spotting and have recently been unveiled after a lifetime behind net curtains. The result of the gentle makeover is a charming and comfortable bar in which you immediately feel at home. It’s a place where you sense the past, making it feel somehow more real than many of today’s cloned modern, trendy bars.

Nordbrücke also offers a flat to rent, if you intend to extend your stay in Zurich.