Greifensee and Lake Zurich: mini breaks and boat trips on the two lakes of Zurich

Advertising: Contribution in cooperation with the Association of Swiss Shipping Companies

The two largest lakes in the canton of Zurich – Lake Zurich and Lake Greifensee – not only invite you to take a dip in the refreshing water on beautiful summer days, but are also two worthwhile destinations for mini-breaks. Especially in this weather-ridden summer, a spontaneously emerging window of good weather on and on the two Zurich lakes could really be celebrated. Where and how? That’s what I’ll show in this post.

[alert color=”FFFFFF” icon=”Select a Icon” title=”Schiffsrundfahrten“]

In cooperation with the Association of Swiss Shipping Companies, I present you a selection of excursion ideas and culinary tours from Lake Constance to Lake Zurich this summer season. After a detour to the Ticino lakes, a romantic evening cruise on the candlelight steamer on Lake Lucerne, three brunch tips and a detour to the waters of eastern Switzerland, this article takes you to the two largest lakes in the canton of Zurich.

[/alert]

Detour to the Maur landing stage at Lake Greifensee

The home port of the Greifensee Shipping Cooperative in tranquil Maur is not only the starting point for the popular ferry connection to Uster as well as the round trips and themed trips across Lake Greifensee, but – as we discovered during an excursion on a Sunday afternoon – also an attractive destination for all those who want to spend time comfortably by the lake. The shipping cooperative has equipped an area at the pier with comfortable lounge furniture. And even if your feet stay dry here even when the lake level is high (luckily!), you don’t have to sit on dry land. In the take-away & kiosk “Seebrise” right next to it, you can stock up on cool drinks and fine snacks.

By the way, if the weather is a bit mixed, you can combine a detour to the “Seebrise” with a visit to the local museum Mühle. Until the end of October, a special exhibition is dedicated to the sensational raffia sandal find from the time of the pile dwellers.

Sail across the Greifensee with the city of Uster

From mid-April to mid-October, the largely unspoilt natural shore of Lake Greifensee can be admired from aboard the MS Stadt Uster (or, depending on the course, from the MS David Herrliberger). From Wednesday to Sunday, the two ships will sail on a circular route on Lake Greifensee and – depending on the course – dock in Fällanden, Greifensee, Uster, Mönchaltorf and Maur. What I really like about the Greifensee is the view of the “green”. Large parts of the Greifensee have a protected and unbuilt shore – an enormous quality for me. Especially due to its proximity to Zurich. I can get on the bus in the middle of the city and find myself in a completely different world about 15 minutes later.

Of course, you will not only get something to quench your thirst and hunger in the “sea breeze”, but you will also be fed on board the scheduled ships. The wine offer includes some local wines, which of course I had to try. In addition, the Greifensee Shipping Cooperative also offers regular culinary trips and adventure trips.

Discover Zurich’s lake basin with the help of an audio guide

The change from Lake Greifensee to Lake Zurich could not be more contrasting. There is the peace, space, and in all shades of green shimmering shore zone. Here is the hustle and bustle, the joie de vivre and the hustle and bustle that stretches all the way to the lake on beautiful summer days. Will the scheduled boat navigate safely through the colorful crowd of pedalos, sailboats and stand-up paddlers to the pier? Of course! There is a lot going on on Lake Zurich in summer and this also applies to the wide range of circular routes and themed cruises offered by the Lake Zurich Shipping Company.

If you don’t have a lot of time, but still want to ruffle your hair from the wind on the sun deck and at the same time experience the Zurich skyline from a different perspective from the ship, the 55-minute mini lake cruise in the Zurich lake basin is the perfect choice. It runs on the Bürkliplatz – Wollishofen – Zollikon – Tiefenbrunnen – Zürichhorn route every hour between 9:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m.

The free, matching audio guide app, which provides exciting background information about the sights along the route, is also cool here. Worth a listen – even for Zurich residents who are familiar with the area.

Short Lake Cruise – the after-work classic

The mini lake tour is suitable for all those who either want to be a tourist in their own city for an hour or simply want to spend a nice, refreshing hour in the Zurich lake basin. What is missing from this year’s Mini Lake Cruise is a gastronomic offer. Of course, the audio guide app can be played not only on the mini lake tour, but also on the route of the one-and-a-half-hour small lake tour from Bürkliplatz to Erlenbach / Thalwil and back. A veritable after-work classic, also because popular dishes can be found on the menu at fair prices. I’ve been on the road several times this summer with one of the evening classes and each time I’m amazed at how mixed the audience is. From teenagers in love to girls’ after-work get-togethers to pensioners’ dinner dates, we have encountered everything on our trips on board the MS Uetliberg and MS Pfannenstiel.

Spontaneous sunset enjoyment on Lake Zurich

The great thing about the small lake tour is that evening courses are offered here every day until autumn. The last course starts at 7:00 p.m. from Bürkliplatz in “See”. This allows you to experience the most wonderful evening atmospheres on the lake spontaneously and inexpensively after work. Pure holiday feeling for me! After a stressful day at the office, why not take the time for 1.5 hours of deceleration on Lake Zurich?

Practical tips for boat trips on Lake Zurich and Lake Greifensee

• The ferry connection between Uster and Maur is part of the ZVV network plan and operates all year round. GA/Half-Fare travelcard as well as ZVV travelcard are fully valid on the ferry.
• The Greifensee tours are carried out from Wednesday to Sunday from mid-April to mid-October. The cost for this is 26 CHF for adults without discount. On the round trips, the GA travelcard is accepted in the same way as the Half-Fare travelcard (cost: 13 CHF). The tickets for the round trips can only be obtained / paid for on the ship.
• If you are interested in culinary themed cruises on Lake Greifensee, you can find an overview of the current offers under the following link: culinary cruises
• On Lake Zurich, the ZVV zone tickets as well as the GA travelcard and Half-Fare travelcard are valid on all scheduled journeys (no surcharge for GA travelcard).
• The season on Lake Zurich lasts from the beginning of April to the end of October. An overview of the timetables as well as more information about the various round trips can be found here: Boat timetable Lake Zurich
• The trip across Lake Greifensee and Lake Zurich can also be combined with a hike over the Pfannenstiel.
• You can find more tips on leisure activities around Zurich, which can also be combined with a boat trip, here: Leisure tips in the Zurich region