Werdinsel Zurich
Mar 9, 2025

Werdinsel Zurich

A Swiss island

""Werdinsel" Zurich is an island in the city. Ok, the island in question is reachable by pedestrian bridges. I love the summer festival (Inselfäscht)..."

An island in the city: beyond the lake and the river, Zurich offers this attraction too. It just feels different to be surrounded by water from every side (trust me, I am Greek). Ok, the island in question is reachable through pedestrian bridges.

The Werdinsel is located in the river Limmat in the city quarter called Höngg and appeals to different people and tastes. The island is, naturally, most popular in the summer.

The upper (eastern) side offers supervised river bathing for the mainstream. Families would appreciate the natural shade of the trees (if desired) and the little pool and playground for the offspring.

The lower side is a popular nudist area (officially illegal since 1983) that is divided into two parts: the major part is primarily gay. The smallest part, separated from the rest by a shallow water canal, attracts a more mixed public. On both parts you may run across some quite creative body art. The gay part attracts also a lot of (dressed) barbecue visitors of all ages.

There is a summer festival (Inselfäscht) in July or August.

But the island is also ideal for walking, jogging and cycling during other seasons, especially during the autumn. The crowds are away and visitors can enjoy the exhilarating melancholy of the fallen leaves: ideal for a conversation or just self-reflection.

I have also heard of senior citizens bathing in the ice-cold river water during the winter (brrrr).

017-plant-1
Relaxing
024-burger-1
Snacks

About this spot

Badeplatz Au-Höngg

CHF

free

443417193

Explore Zurich like a local with Spotted by Locals - discover hidden gems and all our locals’ favourites! Get full access to our Zurich guide.

Nice place right!? There’s so much more to discover:

Discover all other hidden gems in Zurich

Bachser Märt Kalkbreite

Sustainable Food Hub

Near Wiedikon station, Bachser Märt offers organic, regional produce in a bright, modern space with a helpful staff. Sustainable shopping at its best!

026-thrift-shop-1
Shopping
024-burger-1
Snacks

By

Marion

Sima Woessner

Mar 10, 2025

Kweer

Suitable in any situation

Whether you're looking for a spot to work from, to experience a good hot chocolate in Switzerland, or to go on a date, Kweer is the place for you!

028-beach-bar-1
Bars
020-coffee-cup-1
Coffee & tea
029-guitar-instrument-1
Music

By

Marie-Lou

Pijnenburg

Feb 27, 2025

Hiltl Sihlpost

Food for everybody

The Hiltl restaurants always were a bit ahead of their time, serving vegetarian cuisine for more than a hundred years. I liked every dish I tried there!

021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants

By

Marie-Lou

Pijnenburg

Feb 27, 2025

Marta

Permanant flea market

The concept of the store means they have a very diverse assortment of clothes and accessories as there must be as least 50 different shelves full of stuff.

026-thrift-shop-1
Shopping

By

Marie-Lou

Pijnenburg

Feb 27, 2025

Photobastei

Alternative house of photography

Next to the exhibition space dedicated to independent artists, there is a library with photography books that can be skimmed through on one of the couches.

002-building
Art & culture
028-beach-bar-1
Bars

By

Marie-Lou

Pijnenburg

Feb 27, 2025

Äss-Bar

For snack lovers

Äss-Bar is a bakery selling products from the day before that they picked up at partner bakeries. Pastry, croissants, sandwiches, quiche slices, salads...

024-burger-1
Snacks

By

Marie-Lou

Pijnenburg

Feb 27, 2025

Collab Zürich

Ethical creators shop

With their system, they manage to gather a large number of small brands to offer you a diverse range of products, featuring clothes, jewelry, tableware…

026-thrift-shop-1
Shopping

By

Marie-Lou

Pijnenburg

Feb 27, 2025

Church Enge

Climb for Views, Stay for the Music

Perched on a hill, Church Enge, a neo-Renaissance church offers a breathtaking lake view, beautiful stained glass and exceptional acoustics for concerts.

002-building
Art & culture
017-plant-1
Relaxing

By

Marion

Sima Woessner

Feb 25, 2025

Ars-imago

Paradise for film photography

Here you can buy any type of film for any camera, papers of all sorts, develop your photographs or get all the chemicals and accessories needed to do so.

026-thrift-shop-1
Shopping

By

Marie-Lou

Pijnenburg

Feb 23, 2025
Schrödinger's Cat Zurich

Schrödinger's Cat

Experience the paradox

The cat isn't just a playful representation of Schrödinger's thought experiment, but it also invites the viewer to take part in the experiment.

002-building
Art & culture

By

Simi

Singh

Feb 19, 2025

Mühlerama

All things bread

You can book classical courses making sourdough, croissants, or puff pastry dough. But they also have more exciting options like a pasta-making course.

002-building
Art & culture
021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants

By

Simi

Singh

Feb 19, 2025
Papiersaal Zurich

Papiersaal

Where History Meets Entertainment

Papiersaal is known for its events and its extraordinary stage. Music sounds better with their 180-degree stage and unique industrial but stylish ambiance.

002-building
Art & culture
028-beach-bar-1
Bars
029-guitar-instrument-1
Music
021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants

By

Simi

Singh

Feb 19, 2025

Heading to Zurich?

179 Insider Tips from our local Spotters

Authentic Stories by Real People

Escape the crowd & travel slow 🐌

... for just €9.99

Heading to Zurich?

179 Insider Tips from our local Spotters

✓ Escape the Crowds

✓ Find Spots nearby

✓ Authentic Stories

... for just €9.99

Our team loves Zurich

Get to know our other Spotters from Zurich

As featured on:

cached_response not present
39
Filters