For couples · Zurich · Switzerland
Romantic things to do in Zurich
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Roland zh , upload on 14. September 2009, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Zurich is a polished city for couples: lake cruises at sunset, river views from old guild houses, rooftop spa pools and quick trips to Alpine viewpoints. Couples tend to stay in Niederdorf.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 5
- Couple-friendly sights
- 5
- Area for couples
- Niederdorf
- Best months
- May and September
Romantic ideas
1.Sunset on Lindenhof
Watch the light fade over the Limmat and the Grossmünster's towers from the linden-shaded terrace.
2.Evening lake cruise
Take a summer evening boat from Bürkliplatz and watch the shoreline villages light up.
3.Rooftop thermal pool
Float in the rooftop pool of the former Hürlimann brewery with the city lights around you.
4.Guild-house dinner
Book a table by the windows of a historic guild-house restaurant overlooking the river.
5.Uetliberg at dusk
Ride the train up and watch the sun set over the lake and Alps from the summit.
Sights couples love
Experience · Bürkliplatz
Lake Zurich cruise
Sit on the open upper deck when the weather allows, and look south-east down the lake for the Alps on clear days.
- Time needed
- 1.5–4 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Couples
- Kids
- Outdoors
Viewpoint · City and Lindenhof
Lindenhof hill
Come early in the morning or at sunset for the view, and walk down through the lanes to the Fraumünster.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- History
- Couples
- Photo spot
Experience · Lake Zurich and Limmat
Lake and river baths (Badis)
Bring a waterproof bag and swim only at the official baths; the Limmat's current is strong outside them.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Active
- Kids
- Couples
Garden · Seefeld
Zürichhorn: Pavillon Le Corbusier and Chinese Garden
Walk the lakeside promenade from Bellevue to Zürichhorn, about 30 minutes, and return by boat or tram.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Off the beaten path
Experience · Enge
Thermalbad & Spa Zürich
Go on a weekday evening, and finish in the rooftop pool after dark.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Couples
- Views
- Rainy day
- After dark
Where couples should stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife, couples and culture
Niederdorf
The Niederdorf, on the east bank of the Limmat, is the livelier half of the Old Town, with the car-free Niederdorfstrasse running from Central to the Grossmünster past restaurants, bars and shops. Side lanes such as Spiegelgasse, where the Cabaret Voltaire gave birth to Dada in 1916, climb towards the university. It is the most atmospheric base, though noisy on weekend nights.
- Good
- Historic setting with everything walkable; Lively restaurants and bars; Close to the main station
- Watch out
- Weekend noise until late; Rooms in old buildings can be small
- Nearby
- Grossmünster, Cabaret Voltaire, Polybahn, Central
Romantic day trips
- Lucerne (About 45 minutes by train) — Lucerne's wooden Chapel Bridge, medieval walls and lakefront set against Mount Pilatus and the Rigi make it Switzerland's classic postcard town.
- Rhine Falls (About 50 minutes by train) — One of Europe's most powerful waterfalls, the Rhine Falls plunge about 23 metres across 150 metres of the river.
- Rapperswil (About 35 minutes by S-Bahn, about 2 hours by boat) — The 'town of roses' at the far end of Lake Zurich has a hilltop castle, an old town of arcaded houses and public rose gardens, plus a long wooden footbridge across the lake to Hurden on the old pilgrims' route.
- Rigi (About 1 hour 30 minutes by train) — The 'Queen of the Mountains' rises above Lake Lucerne and Lake Zug, reached by Europe's first mountain railway, opened in 1871.
- Stein am Rhein (About 1 hour by train) — A small medieval town on the Rhine with a main square of half-timbered houses covered in painted facades, a Benedictine monastery and the hilltop Hohenklingen castle.
- St. Gallen (About 1 hour by train) — The UNESCO-listed Abbey of St.
- Baden (About 15–20 minutes by train) — A spa town since Roman times, Baden has a covered wooden bridge over the Limmat, a compact old town and a modern thermal bath complex fed by mineral-rich hot springs.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Zurich-style veal, Rösti and Cheese fondue. Book ahead for popular restaurants from Thursday to Saturday.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Zurich romantic?
Zurich is a polished city for couples: lake cruises at sunset, river views from old guild houses, rooftop spa pools and quick trips to Alpine viewpoints.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Zurich?
Sunset on Lindenhof: Watch the light fade over the Limmat and the Grossmünster's towers from the linden-shaded terrace.
+Where should couples stay in Zurich?
Niederdorf: Pedestrian lanes of the right-bank Old Town with bars, guild houses and small hotels.