Rooftops in Zurich: the Limmat, the lake and the Alps seen from above
The largest city in Switzerland
The most populous city in Switzerland, with more than 440,000 inhabitants, Zurich lies at the northern end of the lake that bears its name, where the Limmat flows out of the lake before being joined by the Sihl. Divided into twelve districts, the Kreise, it is also one of the world's major financial centres. The Alps are only about thirty kilometres away, and the Uetliberg, at 869 metres, overlooks the city to the west.
A skyline of spires and towers
The old town stretches along both banks of the Limmat. On the right bank, the twin towers of the Grossmünster, where the Reformation in German-speaking Switzerland began, face the Fraumünster, renowned for its stained-glass windows, and St. Peter's church with its huge clock face, near the Lindenhof hill, where the Roman station of Turicum once stood. To the west, the former industrial district of Zürich-West, now an area of offices and nightlife, is dominated by the 126-metre Prime Tower.
Where to rise above Zurich
Around the Bahnhofstrasse
At the heart of Kreis 1, the great shopping street is where the rooftops are concentrated. At the top of the Globus department store, the Roof Garden adds a terrace facing the Uetliberg to its restaurant and bar. On the 6th floor of the Modissa building, OOO Rooftop, whose sign consists of just three dots, serves Asian-inspired cuisine on a terrace that wraps around the floor. A little further on, the Hiltl Dachterrasse has planted a garden on the roof of PKZ Women, with a vegetarian buffet. Close by, the Jules Verne Panoramabar occupies the floor just below the dome of the Urania observatory tower. On the Paradeplatz, the 1838 Rooftop Bar opens the roof terrace of the Mandarin Oriental Savoy in the warmer months, and on the Sihlstrasse, George Bar & Grill occupies the penthouse of the Ober building, with a terrace open on three sides.
Along the Limmat and the lake
In the old town, The Nest, the rooftop bar of the Hotel Storchen, looks out over the Limmat, the Grossmünster and the Fraumünster. On the east shore of the lake, in Seefeld, La Muña occupies the 6th floor of La Réserve Eden au Lac, with two terraces facing the water and the mountains.
In Zürich-West
On the 35th floor of the Prime Tower, 120 metres up, Clouds brings together a restaurant, a bistro and a bar behind large picture windows. A few streets away, SOHO has set up a cocktail bar and a roof terrace on the 5th floor of a building on the Hardstrasse, facing the neighbourhood's rooftops. At the foot of the Prime Tower, the urban garden of Frau Gerolds Garten opens a terrace in summer perched on its stacked containers, at second-floor height, overlooking the railway tracks.
Dining and cocktails up high
For every budget
Prices are displayed in Swiss francs. Expect to pay CHF 14 to 17 for a cocktail at SOHO, CHF 17 at the Hiltl Dachterrasse, CHF 18 to 25 at OOO Rooftop, the Jules Verne Panoramabar, the Roof Garden or George, CHF 21 to 23 at Clouds and CHF 24 to 28 at The Nest. As for food, you can go from George's grilled meats to La Muña's ceviches, from the Asian snacks of the 1838 to SOHO's tapas, and from Hiltl's vegetarian buffet to Clouds' weekend brunches.
A rooftop for every occasion
As a couple or with friends
For a romantic evening, La Muña, Clouds and the Jules Verne Panoramabar make the most of the panorama. With friends, SOHO keeps the party going at weekends, Frau Gerolds Garten on summer evenings, OOO Rooftop and the Roof Garden lend themselves to an aperitif after shopping, and the Hiltl Dachterrasse welcomes guests without a reservation.
Getting around easily
The tram serves every venue: Rennweg stop for OOO Rooftop and the Jules Verne Panoramabar, Löwenplatz for the Roof Garden, Bahnhofstrasse/HB for Hiltl, Paradeplatz for the 1838, Sihlstrasse for George, Rathaus for The Nest and Kreuzstrasse for La Muña. In Zürich-West, the Schiffbau stop and Hardbrücke station are a short walk from Clouds, SOHO and Frau Gerolds Garten.
Tips for enjoying Zurich's rooftops
Choosing your season and time
The Nest opens from April to October, the 1838 from spring to autumn, the container terrace at Frau Gerolds Garten from April to September, and La Muña's rooftop bar only in fine weather; these terraces close in winter, although La Muña's restaurant and Frau Gerolds Garten's winter garden stay open. The other venues have an indoor room and open all year round; their terraces depend on the weather. Book for dinner, especially at La Muña, Clouds and the Roof Garden; at The Nest in the evening, and at George for just a drink, seats are taken in order of arrival. Several venues close on Sunday or Monday: check opening hours before you go, and arrive in the early evening to watch the sun set over the rooftops.
Photo : Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE