Image by Miltiadis Sarakinos

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.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Hönngerberg | Relaxing
Grünwald | Kreis 10 Wipkingen
Autumn is the best