Winterthur and surrounding area

My first experience with Winterthur

Winterthur was our first home in Switzerland. We lived in the centre of the city for four years and both our children were born here. However, my first visit was a complete surprise. My husband had been offered a job in Winterthur, starting in December. Our wedding anniversary was in November and it was his turn to organise a surprise get-a-way. I arrived at the airport, thinking well this is a good start. Perhaps we are jetting off somewhere warmer, with a beach… Then I saw the ticket – Zürich with accommodation about 10 minutes walk from our future home in Winterthur. It seems like a crazy idea but was in reality a very smart one. We were able to see Winterthur as tourists first, before our big move and it made all the difference to me.

We stayed in a lovely hotel, on the edge of the Stadtgarten (city park) which is right next to the old town. Each morning we would wander across the road and walk through the quiet pedestrian streets, watching the shops opening and smelling fresh coffee and bread (we are early rises). We spent the mornings taking in the sights and peeking into quiet alleyways and small courtyards. By the end of the first morning, I was sold. Winterthur was where I wanted to live – my husband’s plan had worked!

What’s on offer

Winterthur is the 6th largest city in Switzerland and boasts the largest uninterrupted pedestrian area in the country. It has so much to offer anyone willing to stop and have a look around. You will find history, art, nature and a good selection of cafes, bars and restaurants – all within walking distance.

cafes and bars

Within this inner-city area, there are several small leafy courtyards or wide tree-lined streets with cafes and restaurants that offer a quiet place to chill out. I have mentioned them in the Cafes and Bars section below.

Gasse in German means alley or lane – a good indication that the street is pedestrian.

Culture

Culture has a long tradition in Winterthur. The city is home to 17 museums, including the Oskar Reinhart Collection “Am Römerholz” with its masterpieces of European art from the 14th to the 20th century – mentioned in the walking tour section below. This tradition continues with the internationally renowned Centre for Photography, and the Swiss Science Center Technorama, a hands-on science experience for all ages.

The diverse cultural agenda also comprises of a series of festivals – Afro-Pfingsten; a celebration of African traditions, music and food, the International Short Film Festival and Albanifest; the latter is a huge festival that goes back 750 years and runs for 3 days at the end of June. The festival is spread over the whole of the pedestrian area with food stalls and the Chilbi which is a funfair centered around the city Park and surrounding streets.

The Garden City

The inner-city’s tree-lined streets and park, along with the surrounding hills covered in vineyards and forests are the reasons why Winterthur is known as the garden city. The hills are great for both views of the city and mountains as well as for walks and biking. As with most places like this in Switzerland, you will find plenty of grill spots in and around the forests. Schloss Kyburg; a romantic castle, is nestled in the hills to the south of the city and can be reached in 15 minutes by car or 35 minutes by public transport. You can find more details in the castle section below.

Shopping

As you can imagine, There is also a wide range of shops within the sprawling pedestrian zone; from the normal fashion, book and department stores to a myriad of small specialty and boutique shops – the latter can be a little harder to find. You will need to go off the main streets to find these. However, they are still within the pedestrian area.

The start of the pedestrian zone is across from the main bus station forecourt where buses are coming and going from every direction. Once the dodging of buses has been achieved, you will find streets like Marktgasse, Steinberggasse and Neustadtgasse to be a welcome surprise.

More Information is found under these headings:

Walking Tour of winterthur’s old Town

My old town walk includes shops, cafes, restaurants, quiet places and leafy spaces.

Winterthur train station to the old town pedestrian streets

Leafy courtyard with drinking fountain

From Pfarrgasse through to Steinberggasse; a wide pedestrian street with sleek fountains, cozy cafes, bars and boutique shops.

From Obergasse through to the Grabens

Tösstalstrasse and Neustadtgasse

Finnart Gift Shop

. . . while in the city try a spot of culture

Winterthur has been a centre of art and culture for over 100 years.

forests and castles in the neighbourhood. . .

Lindberg (while up at Oskar Reinhart am römerholz museum)

Chöpfi sandstone mounds and grill spot

Castle Kyburg

Schloss Kyburg’s Entrance, Photo by A.Leggett

Grill and Picnic Possibilities near Schloss Kyburg

Below the castle, beside the Töss river, are various grilling possibilities. Steps through the woods lead up to the Castle gates with an ascent of more than 100 metres.

Obviously, if you are having a grill in the forest, there are certain rules and considerations. You can find an entertaining information sheet on forest etiquette that has been put out by the Amt für Landschaft und Natur (Office for the Conservation and Care of the Land and Environment) here. You may not understand German but the pictures are easy to follow and also quite entertaining. Something that is good to show the kids.

Some of Winterthur’s Special Restaurants, cafes, bistros and Bars

Winterthur central city – east of the tracks

Within the old town, there are some nice little cafes off to the side of Marktgasse. Look down the alleyways and you will find some treasures. Here are some of my favourites:

Grepery – Steinberggasse 59

The Grepery is a crepe restaurant with very friendly staff and a great selection of crepe dishes. It is quite narrow with bare stone walls inside, a good-sized bar and hanging lanterns outside – half of the restaurant’s seating consists of outdoor benches under a glass roof. This restaurant is great any time of year but can get very busy in the evenings.

Kafisatz – Spitalgasse 1

Kafisatz is in a cosy courtyard in the heart of Winterthur with covered alleyways and a pretty water fountain close by. Outdoor seating and nice interior space with a bar. This place does great cappuccinos and the staff are very friendly.

Tibits Vegetarian Buffet Restaurant – Oberer Graben 48

Winterthur central city – west of the Train tracks

Boiler Room – Im Kesselhaus, Zürcherstrasse 1+3

Plan B Lounge Bar – Pionier Park, Zürcherstrasse 7

This is a spacious high-ceiling lounge bar with large concrete pillars, plenty of windows and a huge lounging area up the back – looking a bit like a giant’s sofa. This is in the same building as the Boiler Room mentioned above.

Festivals and Traditions

Afro-Pfingston Festival

This is a free festival, spread through-out Winterthur with reggae music, an African Market and plenty of activities, including camel rides. The are colourful stalls throughout the pedestrian street – often with flags to show which country they represent. The food smells are very enticing and it is a great way to try out the different African dishes. The main market takes place throughout the weekend and there will be drummers, dancers, acrobats and singers showing off their skills which tend to take place in the church square and on Steinberggasse.

Fasnacht

For someone who didn’t grow up with the traditions of Switzerland, Fasnacht took a bit of getting used to. Each Canton and sometimes even region within the Canton has a different way of celebrating Fasnacht. Some traditions are the same for all the Fasnacht celebrations; dressing up extravagantly with masks and painted faces, parades, music and Confetti.

The bands are called Guggimusik. These are a type of brass band with plenty of drummers, beautifully designed costumes and painted faces. The Umzüge (parades) have floats designed by clubs from the area and sometimes from other places, even as far as Germany. The interaction with the crowds is in the form of Confetti – and, as you see from the photos, lots of it. I have found pockets full of it years after wearing that particular jacket to a Fasnacht parade. It gets everywhere. Another form of interaction is when the large Orc-like creatures, fairies, toadstools, witches and warlocks that are part of these parades hand out sweets to the children – who take them eagerly. They don’t seem to be put off by these red-eyed, fanged creatures bearing down on them.

Now, after getting used to the costumes, it is one of my favourite times of the year. If you are in Switzerland in February or March check out the calendar for the Fasnacht parades.

Albani Fest

I have been going to this festival with my family for over 10 years. It has become an annual event that we look forward to, along with Fasnacht and Afro-Pfingston. I imagine that won’t change as the children get older. To me, it is all about plenty of scary rides, crowds, local or international music and food. International food stalls such as the Hungarian bread tent are spread throughout the festival. The stalls are run by local clubs who provide sustenance or sell handcrafts, candyfloss, fudge, or giving away prizes. They give the festival a community feel, where locals can meet up, support their local club and chat over a beer in a plastic cup.

The evening gets a lot noisier with crowds of young people having too much to drink. There are plenty of rides, mostly centred around the large Chilbi (fairground) which lines the city park. If you ever get lost, just head for the massive Ferris wheel, which is always set up in the middle of the old town. Sunday mornings are aimed at the children with special prices on the rides during this time.

The Story of Albanifest

The Albanifest, or Festival of St. Alban, is a large event held in Winterthur’s old town. Historically it is linked to St. Alban’s day (22 June), marking the day in 1264 when Rudolf von Habsburg granted the Kyburg city of Winterthur a charter setting out the rights and obligations of its citizens. It was around this time that local elections were usually held. The political business became coupled with a festival where food and drink were given to the citizens.

It was re-introduced in the twentieth century. In the period after the Second World War, small festivals were held in each area of Winterthur on or around 22 June. These gradually became one festival – the Albanifest, which has been held on the last weekend of June every year since 1971. The event attracts around 100,000 people from Winterthur and the surrounding area.