If you are ever in Zurich on a hot summer day, I recommend a visit to Unterer Letten Swimming and Recreation Area. Unlike the Bern float, it is safe because there is a gate at the end with ladders to catch you if you pass the earlier steps for the exit. There is no way you can be swept downriver. The water temperature was perfect, cool enough to be refreshing, but not freezing, and the current was light. Also, above the river area is a large shallow pool for kids with lifeguards and a toddler pool. There are dressing rooms, but you will need to bring your own towels. To get there, we just needed to take Tram 4 from the old town in Zurich where we were staying. Swimming in the Limmat was one of my favorite experiences in Switzerland outside of the Berner Oblerland. Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed Zurich, and were happy that we carved out one day to spend there before returning to the United States.
Posted by
Thun, Switzerland
485 posts
Thanks for the report! I know that many people who work in Zurich go swimming on their lunch hour. It sounds like it was a memorable experience for your family!
Posted by
ATL, USA
417 posts
Four or five years ago my husband, son and I ended a trip through Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria in Zurich to fly home. We arrived by train on a very hot late afternoon and walked to our hotel which was just a block or two from the river, which was full of people swimming and it looked like so much fun. This must have been the swimming area you described. My husband and son really wanted to swim, but we were also starving, so they said "we'll swim tomorrow." Unfortunately, it rained during the night and the next day was cold! No one was swimming that day. And we were flying home the next day. My husband and son STILL talk about their missed opportunity.