Welcome Summer 2026! Discover some activities you can do in Zurich City!

Summer is here. Here are my favourite spots for food, drinks, and entertainment.

Barfussbar at night – Women Badi during the day

Barfussbar at night – Women Badi during the day

Badi-Beizli Vibes: Zurich’s river and lake baths are hotspots for relaxed dining. Pizza at Strandbad Tiefenbrunnen or a beer at the Barfussbar (open to everyone in the evenings). The Barfussbar hosts live concerts on Wednesdays (donations), DJ sets on Thursdays (free entry), and dance sessions on Sundays (approx. 16 CHF).

Boating on the lake

No boat license? You can rent pedalos or small motorboats here. Pedalos from 30 CHF/hour, motorboats from 70 CHF. You can rent here. Prices start from 30 CHF for 1 hour for the pedal and 70 CHF for the motorboat.

Terrace Hopping: Zurich’s rooftop bars and garden terraces invite you to unwind. Enjoy an aperitivo with a view of the lake or the city’s rooftops. The recently opened Savoy Terrace at the Mandarin Oriental Zurich by Paradeplatz, for example, sounds like a chic spot for golden hour cocktails! Other fantastic options include The Nest at Hotel Storchen for Limmat river views, or The Penthouse for a truly glamorous experience with skyline views and Japanese-inspired cuisine.

Pick nick at one of my favourite parks!
When it comes to parks in town with plenty of shadows there is a great option. It must not always be the crowded Letten River or China Wiese at the lake, right?

Botanical Garden close to the lake, is a hidden gem. Need a break from the BBQ and volley madness? This is your spot! Grab a book, watch the adorable frogs and ducks, and let your imagination run wild.

Josefswiese close to Viadukt is a park for family and pick-nick lovers! The park is big and the large trees give the perfect shade! What I love here is the large water fountain! Kiosk & restaurants are just close by.

Werdinsel Go for a fun day with a plastic boat on the river! The best point to start is Werdinsel, it has a bit of a wild atmosphere out here. For families: enjoy the large paddling area with a waterfall for small children! For your BBQ use the pre-installed grill!

Get your pick nic box ready!

Call your friends, prepare your music playlist, and pack some homemade fresh little bites for example:

• Mediterranean pasta salad with feta, olives, dried tomatoes, pine nuts and capers
• Fennel salad with apple stripes & grapefruits
• Tzatziki and some fresh pita
• Cuscus Salad with, corn, cucumber, mango, basil & mint leafs
• Watermelon & Feta Salad
• Prosciutto Crudo in slices with honey melon

To add a suggestion from my community: Good music, beer, Iced Coffee and Watermelon!

My favourite two spots to swim or relax or dance with good sound

Seebad Enge for a swim and chill. Sunday’s it’s the place to hang out with some chilled live music for a sunset session.

Dolder Wellenbad: The newly renovated, iconic pool. A must-visit for summer vibes above the city.

Open Air Cinemas in town you should not miss!

• Bloom Openair Kino: Europaallee, August 14 – 23, 2026.

• Filmfluss: Unterer Letten, July 8 – 26, 2026.

• Allianz Cinema: Zurichhorn, July 16 – August 16, 2026. Book tickets early.

• Cine Club Nord: Oerlikon, August 14 – 15, 2026.

Theatre & Festivals

• Zürcher Theater Spektakel: August 13 – 30, 2026. Dance and performances from all over Europe.

• Zürich Openair: August 21 – 22 & 28 – 29, 2026. International lineup of electro, rock, and pop.

In the mood for some Zurich Food spots to discover? Check my food guide!

My personal highlight: My soul feels at home on the water, a Gourmet Festival on a boat is THE a foodies’ happy place!

Welcome to Excellence Gourmet Festival.
A 2-day gourmet trip between Basel and Strasbourg that takes place every autumn. Booking takes place through the travel agency Mittelthurgau, click here right away if you like to book a slot. The cost starts at 285 CHF to 500 CHF per person (price vary depending on the guest’s gook). The transfer, overnight on the boat, food and breakfast is included in the price.

What to expect on the gourmet trip?

Excellent top cuisine, 48 Michelin stars and 560 Gault Millau points, a dedicated crew, live music and a breathtaking sunset on the Rhine river. Sounds like pure relaxation for soul and palate, doesn’t it? The concept of the Excellence Gourmet Festival, taking place this year for the 7th time offers an amazing choice of well renewed top Chefs. 39 endowed creative cooks from Switzerland and the world surprise foodies of all ages. Everything is prepared fresh and ad hoc on the boat. The evening program is moderated by different Swiss celebrities for example Sven Epiney or Christa Rigozzi during my attendance. Their interaction with the Chefs was excellent, they reveal a lot of insights about the Chefs with their interactive dialogue between every course. The atmosphere is very relaxed. While dining you don’t even notice how smooth the ship moves on the river!

A 2-day gourmet trip with sightseeing, culinary and complete relax on the river

The journey starts with the transfer to Strasbourg by a comfy bus. In Strasbourg, you get time to stroll through the city either by yourself or with an organized guide. In the early afternoon, there is a transfer to get on board one of the Gourmet boats. In my case, it was the Excellence Princess. After the check-in in my Junior Suite with a spectacular view over the Rhine river a welcome aperitive with sweets, salty snacks and live music everyone is set to start the gourmet experience. The perfect chance to get to know other foodies on board and discover every cosy corner of the Excellence Princess!
My favourite spot: one of the sofas in the glass-covered sky lounge. Here is where I slurp happy and full of excitement my Aperol spritz!

The Culinary program – Chef Flynn McGarry from New York (Restaurant Gem)

The dining highlight of my day: Flynn McGarry from the Restaurant gem in New York. The media describe him as a prodigy of cuisine. Listening to the interview I immediately understood, that he followed very early his idea and passion for cooking. And guess having a family around that understands someone’s passion is something unique you can ever wish for. But still, yes, it’s very impressive that he started at the age of 10 and is now at 20 it kind of seems that a lot of his dreams are already fulfilled! Flynn gives me the impression of a very humble, creative and somehow mature personality at his young age! Obviously, he discovered very early what he wants to do in his life and it is motivating, feeling the light and ambitious vibes he has. The interview held by Sven Epiney during the evening revealed a lot of funny insights, too.

The menu comes with a wine pairing. My favorite drop: the Carmelo Rodero Reserva, 2014, Bodegas Rodero, Ribera del Duero/Spain.

The menu at a glance

Starter: Scallop Chips with raw scallops and preserved citrus  – layers of Kohlrabi and pear

1 course: Lightly cooked beet “ceviche” with salted plums and smoked chilli

2 course: Grilled cabbage with oyster and grilled kale emulsion

3 course: Layers of squash and rutabaga with gruyere and black pepper

4 course: Celery root schnitzel with truffles and rye

5 course: Smoked and roasted duck breast with radicchio and duck xo sauce, salad on the side stew of duck and grilled cicorino rosso to share

Dessert: Quince granita with sage semifreddo

The combination of flavours, ingredients, spices and herbs used made that mainly focused plant-based menu very surprising but at the same time simple and comforting. The celery root schnitzel with the super crispy layer was fabulous and yummy.

My favourite dish: the pumpkin in a creamy, tasty gruyere sauce, perfectly balanced, a dish that I will try to cook at home! The dessert was a sage semifreddo and a quince granita, very Mediterranean and a true delight to end the event in glory!

Accommodation of the maritime lady

The Excellence Princess gives you all comfort you can think of. I would describe it as a modern and elegant Swiss Grand Hotel on the water! Find several options where to spend your free time. Choose between the glass-covered sky lounge, outside on the terrace or the elegant bar on the middle deck. In the mood for sauna or fitness? That’s available, too!

On the boat are 93 cabins with shower/bathroom, air conditioning, Sat-/TV, minibar, hairdryer, french balcony, and spacious windows. Find three different categories of cabins: In the upper and middle deck: 16 m2 and a Junior Suite with 20 m2, both with a french balcony, double bed or single beds. Under deck: Cabin with 13 m2 single or double bed.
The life on board feels safe due to the very robust construction properties of the boat.

A very warm thank you to all of the staff on board that made my stay memorable and to the agency Pantarhei that invited me to this glamorous mini-holiday on the water.

In the mood for some more travel and food stories? Find inspiration here.