Where to Run in Zürich
A Runner’s Guide to Europe, Part 3 of 5
I visited Zürich once and remembered it being a clean, quiet, almost sleepy kind of city. Since then, I’ve met a few folks who have moved there and after a few short months decided to stay — indefinitely. Things run smoothly, the city feels safe, people generally keep a great balance between work or school and family life, and they actually enjoy spending time outdoors — hiking, cycling, breathing clean air. After this last visit to Zürich, I too could easily see myself living there. Part of the lure was my 6.2mi (10km) sightseeing loop that journeyed along the river, through the city center, up into the hills, and back down around the lake. I remember inhaling fresh crisp air, soaking in the neighborhood hillside views, and thinking it might be nice to make a morning jog here a regular thing.
Sightseeing highlights included the Sihl River, University of Zürich, Views of Old Town, Chinese Garden, and Lake Zürich
The Run
The morning started off cloudy and much colder than I had anticipated. Once again, I had planned for sunny weather and neglected to account for the cooler temperatures associated with Zürich’s 1339ft / 408m elevation. I started on the Sihlpromenade anyway, wearing only running shorts and long-sleeves, and hoped I’d warm up after a few minutes. Further down the river, I wanted to run on the boardwalk but saw it was blocked off due to recent flooding. I learned from a local guide later that day that the Sihl River has had a history of flooding since Zürich’s early days due to the low riverbanks and seasonal runoff from the melting snowpack.
I followed the Sihl River for the first mile and then started to make my way to the university area, first crossing the Bahnhofstrasse (main shopping street) and then the Limmat River. After crossing the Limmat, I knew I would begin my climb, so I kept to the paths and stairs that continued leading me up. At the top of the final set of stairs, I had a good view of the city center, but being early in my run I moved on quickly.
I happened upon construction around the University Hospital and followed the construction barrier through a park, unexpectedly right up to the hospital doors. I entered thinking I’d find a shortcut and simply pass through, but several turns and staff smiles later, I found myself deep within the belly of the hospital, next to closed doors leading to some department whose name made me nervous. The area screamed off-limits and my bright running clothing screamed equally loudly that I didn’t belong. I decided to retrace my steps and left the way I entered. Back outside, I suddenly remembered something I’d heard a long time ago, about how short cuts tend to make long delays.
After running back along the edge of the park and leaving the hospital grounds, I kept climbing the hill and discovered a quiet neighborhood with beautiful views. When I heard my phone announce the 3-mile mark, I decided it best to soon find my way back down to Lake Zürich. I continued my climb a little further until I reached a main road which thankfully led downhill. On my way to the lake, I saw a fellow runner and followed him assuming he would know where to go, but then nature and architecture distracted me once again and I parted ways. The sun had finally come out from behind the clouds and colored the greens verdant and the flowers vibrant as I stumbled across the grounds of Neumünster Kirche.
Continuing on towards the lake, I avoided street construction and finally made my way to the Chinese Gardens. At this point, I felt tired. My wanderings had taken me quite a bit off course and I knew I still had at least 2 miles to get back to the hotel. So, I walked around the gardens and watched a flock of swans while I rested and hydrated. I observed them long enough to note that each of these “ugly ducklings” showed its own personality, and in my mind I had identified the eldest, middle, and youngest in the family. I found their maneuverings completely entertaining.
I started to make my way around the lake and discovered a floating wooden art exhibit on display, the Pavilion of Reflections, entry fee 6 CHF. Between the pavilion and the bridge, Quaibrücke, stood a dedicated viewing spot for swans and ducks. Since I had already enjoyed a unique viewing experience, I ran past the tourists and happily headed back to the hotel. In total, I ended up running 7.5 miles, much longer than planned. But the run had a balanced mix of tourist spots as well as local spots and all told, I felt that I had a good sightseeing run.
The Route
Interactive Map
Created in MapMyRun, no login required: Zürich City Loop: Sihl River, Univ of Zürich, Lake Zürich, 6.2mi / 10.0km.
Navigation Points
I run with a phone and a section of Google Maps available offline so I can view my location and correct course at any time. Below are key landmarks or reference points with rough mile-markers to help with this route.
- Mile 0.0/6.2: Start/End at Sihl River, East bank by Google
- Mile 1.1: Gessnerbrücke (bridge), turn RIGHT and head towards the University of Zürich
- Mile 2.0: University Hospital
- Mile 3.0: Route starts heading towards Lake Zürich, all downhill
- Mile 4.3: Lake Zürich
- Mile 5.0: Burlikplatz, where the Limmat River starts at Lake Zürich
Recommendations
Next Time
I enjoy an occasional hill on my long runs, so I would definitely run this again. However, having gotten my bearings with this initial run, next time I would stick to the main roads around the universities to minimize getting lost, and definitely run around the grounds of the University Hospital instead of through it.
A Shorter Option
For a shorter loop and no hills, you can run a route that’s shaped like a balloon, roughly 4.5 miles. Start the route as planned and after crossing the Limmat River, turn RIGHT. Run along the Limmat until it reaches the lake and then follow the lake to the Chinese Garden, the turnaround point. Then pick up the planned route again on the return to close the loop. The out-and-back stretch along the lake marks the “string” of the balloon.
A Little Bit of Something Else
I planned my route on the eastern side of Lake Zürich because I knew we were going to explore Uetliberg, Zürich’s local mountain on the western side of the lake, later in the week. I highly recommend spending some time on Uetliberg. It’s so close and the views are truly rewarding. From our hotel, we commuted 15 minutes by foot and tram to the base of the mountain. Then we chose the most direct route and hiked 45 minutes straight uphill to the UTO Observation Tower, entry fee 2 CHF. I won’t lie, the climb’s a doozy but the views at the top are well worth it.
We had planned to spend half a day on the mountain, so after taking numerous photos from the observation deck, we continued hiking on the Panoramic Trail, also part of the Path of the Planets. The Panoramic Trail from the UTO observation tower to the gondola in Felsenegg journeys a little over 3 miles. After the morning hike and the gondola ride down the mountain, we hopped on a tram and made it back to the city in time for a late lunch.
