In my opinion, Zurich is one of the nicest cities to live in during the summer. The pool area called Unterer Letten is on the Limmat. Built in 1910, it’s one of Zurich’s oldest pool area. Inside the wooden bath-house you feel like you’ve stepped back in time.

The stream is a bit stronger here so you should be a fairly good swimmer. Best is to walk upwards along the wall (it’s easy just observe how the others do it) to lengthen the stretch you’ll float down afterwards. Adventure-seekers can also jump from the railroad bridge (approx. 10 m).

The end of the pool area is marked by a fence. You can just swim to the side and climb up the steps or float right towards the fence (much more fun). Have a look at how the locals do it: You float on your back, feet to the front and as soon as you make contact with the bars you stand/lie in the water and get a great massage by the water floating around you. Fabulous!

And to make it even more perfects, there are also offers to satisfy your culinary needs. Daily from 09:00 – 20:00, the kiosk on the grass area above the pool serves breakfast, salads, crepes, pasta and tapas dishes and every Tuesday from 20:15 – 00:00, the pool area itself hosts a bar sometimes combined with cultural events,

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.

Café des Amis does what it says on the tin: It was opened in March 2011 by a group of friends, and the Gallic touch is evident in the bistro-style interior and the food menu. The only thing missing to complete the picture is a blackboard with the specials written on it in chalk.

The café’s large terrace out front is a popular option on sunny days and warm evenings. Indoors the place looks pretty too, especially the mezzanine floor with the sofas, an excellent spot for some serious people-watching.

There’s a great lunch and a small evening menu, both featuring seasonal, local dishes and reminding you that you are still in Zurich after all. Service is pleasant but can be a little on the slow side.

Café des Amis has quickly claimed a place in Wipkingen, and for a pleasant evening out in the area, I’d recommend you start at Kafischnaps (check the article), continue at Café des Amis, then head to Nordbrücke (check the article).

Are you looking for a restaurant combining quality, quantity, a good atmosphere, all at a reasonable price? In Zurich? For me, the Mexican Restaurant Desperado pops up high on the list; in the last 9 years, it has never disappointed me.

There are actually two Desperados in Zurich, one in Höngg and one in Wiedikon. I am a regular of the former.

The menu usually puts me in a dilemma because too many of its dishes appeal to my taste. But most often the winner is: fajitas a discrecion. This meal requires a minimum of two persons and implies unlimited rounds of chicken, beef and shrimp. To enjoy, follow the following strategy: leave out the chicken (nothing special) and concentrate on the beef and the shrimp which are superb. Reduce the proportion of carbohydrates: roll generous quantities of meat and shrimp in the tortillas and leave out rice, beans etc. And don’t order any appetizer before the fajitas.

Some of the deserts are masterpieces: I love the “helado de crema catalana”, yamm! A cigar from the humidor and/or an espresso can be the triumphant epilogue to the entire ritual.

The music is in cultural harmony with the rest of the venue.

If you take your friends to Desperado for your birthday party and tell them, preferably in advance, you eat for free.

The service is excellent; some waiters have been working there for many years.

Zürich is surrounded by several hills. On the northwestern side we have the Hönggerberg, offering great panoramic views of the city and hosting several buildings of the famous Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH).

The forest at the northwestern side of the Hönggerberg is my family’s favorite hiking tour. It is our destination during those exceptional occasions that I accept to skip the lake and seek different colors. It offers the feeling of being deep in nature despite being officially within city limits.

Our most unforgettable visits took place during the exceptional autumn of 2006 when the weather remained persistently sunny, mild and dry until December. The leaves suffered a slow death on the trees for the pleasure of our eyes. In Hönggerberg this resulted in a prolonged lavish orgy of colors (see photos).

So autumn is the best time to go. You will be rewarded with a pleasant spectacle of green, yellow, orange and red.

Beautiful mushrooms complement the scenery. If you collect any, make sure you bring them to the appropriate authority for control before eating them.

For the lazy ones (like me): take public transportation to Grünwald and head into the forest through Grünwaldstrasse. Sometime later you will end up descending into inhabited areas.