City hike in Zurich

Under the theme of Urban Transport 2025, the City of Zurich is making 19 hiking routes through the city area available for free download with maps including route descriptions and some with audio plays. Since I liked this idea and the routes so much, I have already completed a city walk and now tackled the second one. This time I chose the city walk through Zurich Affoltern. This route is suitable for those interested in architecture as well as for nature lovers.

Start of the city walk at Zehntenhausplatz

The route starts in the middle of Affoltern at Zehntenhausplatz and then leads towards the train station. There is also the Kulturbahnhof, a historic building from the time when the Furttal line was built and operated by a private railway company. Today, the old station building is a center for cultural events.

On the opposite side of the railway line, between the city and the countryside, is one of the largest development areas in the city of Zurich. It is really impressive what kind of residential buildings have already been built here and what projects are still in the pipeline. For people who are interested in topics such as densification and urban sprawl, I recommend paying the district a visit. I’m not convinced if that’s the way to go….

Wedged between the railway line and the freeway, the development area is located at a neuralgic point, but you can also be quickly in nature. As soon as you have crossed the A1/A4 freeway, the hiking trail leads into the nature reserve of the Cat Lakes. This is one of the most popular nature and recreation areas with extensive walking paths and bathing establishments in the Zurich region. I visited the Cat Lakes for the first time, and I am thrilled! A really nice place that exudes a tranquility and makes you feel like you’re far away from the city. It should be noted that there are usually quite a few people here on sunny days.

The hiking trail then continues along the busy Wehntalerstrasse. This section of the trail is definitely not really beautiful, but I discovered a funny sales sign in front of a farm … is an inexpensive horse, isn’t it?

This city hiking trail also offers a diverse insight into a specific district of Zurich. Constantly on the border between urban and rural areas and everything that goes with them (motorways, railways, aircraft noise), it is possible to experience live the challenges that have to be mastered in spatial planning. You should plan about half a day to complete the whole route, as it is quite extensive.

More Hiking Routes for Zurich

This short city walk doesn’t quite meet your expectations? No problem! Here I have more ideas for city walks through Zurich and in the following linked article you will find more suggestions on what you can do around Zurich: 9 great excursion destinations and short hikes in the vicinity of Zurich