10 Zurich Summer Events

Summer in Zürich is absolutely incredible. The mountains for hiking, the lakes for swimming, and the outdoor cafes for relaxing with an apero and a gelato. The temperatures are finally feeling like summer and we are all ready to celebrate. Starting this Friday with the big Zürich Festival. It only happens every three years, so get to Zürich this weekend or you’ll have to wait a few years to see it again.1. Züri Fäscht or Zürich Festival is a huge carnival with an estimated 2 million visitors over three days, Friday July 1st-Sunday July 3rd 2016. This event only takes place once every three years. So if you are in town, definitely make sure to attend this special carnival and fireworks event. There will be loads of food and carnival rides all along the lake. There will be fireworks each of the three nights as well. So get your poor doggies prepped. We will be hanging out at the food trucks or carnival rides!2. Allianz Open Air Movies is July 14-August 14 and it looks absolutely amazing! Tickets go on sale July 1st, so set a phone reminder as they sell out quickly and you don’t miss out on a great night out in Zürich. The program is listed here. The Ladies Night looks fun on Friday July 15th. With all the great food and a bunch of girlfriends, this could be a really great night out! August 9th is Finding Dorie Family Night, this could be a fun night for the family.3. August 1st is Swiss National Day. This is a huge deal in Switzerland with fireworks and brunch! Make reservations to have brunch on a farm. More information on Swiss National Day if you don’t believe this national brunch pastime for August 1st…4. The fantastic lakeside Theaterspektakel at Landiwiese takes place August 18-September 4. We went to this last year and it was so gorgeous and fun for the family. The girls got their faces painted, swam in the lake, watched theater performances, and ate delicious street food all in the fabulous 18 day event. The ticket box office opens July 7th.

5. Take a boat around Lake Zürich, get off at the China Garden, Burkliplatz, Rapperswil, Au, and Wollishofen for great playgrounds and fun family activities. You can buy tickets onboard the boat, at the Burkliplatz ticket office or online.

6. The Zürich Opera House Open Day is September 17th at 10am. We will definitely be doing this as the girls can get an up close and personal look at the inside of the gorgeous Opera House. The Opera House has so many wonderful child friendly performances of all kinds throughout the year. We loved Peter and the Wolf as well as the Opera For All in front of the Opera House in the Sechseläutenplatz. And we are excited about seeing the Wizard of Oz this winter!

7. Hike from Uetliberg to Felsenegg. This is a great local mountain to take visitors. Take the train up to Uetliberg, get off and play in the playground for a bit, climb the giant black tower for an amazing view, get ice cream, and walk the Planet trail to Felsenegg. Take the gondola down from Felsenegg and take the train back to Zürich. We do this hike often now, but here’s our first time trying it last year.

8. The wonderful Burkliplatz Market takes place on Tuesdays and Fridays from 6-11am. We love seeing friends and getting our weekly supplies at the market each week. On Saturday mornings there is a wonderful antique market. I get such a cool Zürich city vibe from this market and love wandering around looking at all the gorgeous displays of flowers, fruit, vegetables, and cheeses.

9. Jump in the lake. One of the best things about summer in Zürich is swimming in the lake. The badis have lake access, pools, playgrounds, cafes, grills, and grassy lawns to stay all day. We spend most of our time at our local badi, just a few minutes walk from our house. The kids finish school at noon and we wander down to spend the rest of the day catching up with friends and relaxing in the grass and in the lake. The badis are open from May-September based a bit on weather conditions. Here’s a full list of Canton Zürich badis. Also, the Limmatschwimmen is August 20 and 27. And the Manifesta Pavillion of Reflections is a temporary installation in Zürich right next to Bellevue on the lake, now an open air cinema and pool until September 18th.10. Bubble Parade Sunday July 10th at 2pm. This looks amazing! And luckily it’s before school gets out! Can’t wait to see my girl’s faces with a parade full of bubbles!

What will you be doing in Zürich this summer? What are you most excited for?

Images: 1. Zürich Festival  2. Allianz Open Air Movies 3. Swiss National Day 4. My girls at Theatrespektakel 5. Heike at the China Garden, The Burkliplatz 6. Zurich Opera House 7. Heike at the Felsenegg lookout, our family hike along the Planet Trail 8. Heike at the Burkliplatz Market, A picture of the artichokes at the Burkliplatz Market 9. Heike at the Seerose Horgen badi, myself at a badi with my friend Rose 10. Bubble Parade 

Our favorite Brunches, Coffee Shops and Things To Do in Zürich.