Take a Zurich Lake cruise by public transportation. Check out Zurich See by boat. Find out how to take a lake Zurich boat tour at low cost.
Life in Zurich in the Springtime seems to center around Zurich Lake. It's no secret that when I travel for business, I like to make time for something fun.
No back and forth between office and hotel with nothing else for me! I arrived in Zurich early on a Sunday morning in late May.
The sun was shining so I decided to take the most economical tour I could find, a small circuit around the Zürich See (Zurich Lake) on the public ferry. Here are ten highlights of my Lake Zurich cruise.
1. A Lake Zurich Cruise is Public Transit at Its Best
For just 8.60 CHF, I got a 90 minute Zurich Lake cruise departing from Bürkliplatz. This is certainly public transport at its best. The ride was comfortable and scenic. I could have taken a private cruise but why spend much more for essentially the same ride?
🔎 Looking for other ways to spend a day in Zurich using public transportation? Read about ideas for exploring Zurich with a ZVV day pass.
2. Zurich City Views
The small circuit of Lake Zurich (Zurich See) featured some lovely views of the iconic spires over Zurich's old town. Gorgeous!
3. Sailboats
It was a calm and sunny day when I embarked on my Lake Zurich cruise and people were out in force in their sailboats. I enjoyed watching the vessels cut through the placid water of the crystal clear lake.
4. Plenty of Parking
The houses all along Lake Zurich featured a different kind of garage. Instead of car parking, these often picturesque buildings were for boats. I particularly loved this half-timbered specimen.
5. A Different Kind of Bus Stop
We made a number of stops on our Lake Zurich cruise. Instead of waiting under a shelter for a bus, passengers walked out onto the pier to catch the public boat.
6. Church Spires
Quaint church spires dotted the landscape around Zurich Lake throughout our tour and lent a tranquil atmosphere to the ride.
7. Lakeside Homes Covered in Moss
As you can imagine, many of the houses fronting Lake Zurich are quite posh. I particularly liked this one home with a well manicured garden that seemed to extend onto the facade of the house itself.
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Zurich is not the only place in the world with a scenic ferry. If you find yourself in the San Francisco Bay Area in the United States, take the ferry to Alameda and enjoy some amazing views of the San Francisco skyline and Bay Bridge on the way.
I really enjoyed my small circuit of Lake Zurich. When traveling for business, it definitely makes sense to watch out for opportunities like this to turn public transit into a fine tour of town. Don't forget to take time for yourself and a bit of bleisure while on the road.
8. Lake Zurich is Fun for All Ages
When I cruised Lake Zurich, all the locals seemed to be gearing up for summer. Zurich See seems to be fun for all ages with all kinds of fun slides depositing eager children into the water.
9. Lake Zurich Birds of Prey
Looking up above, I spotted a number of birds of prey circling our boat. This reminded me that while Zurich Lake is indeed an area of exceptional natural beauty it is also great habitat for wildlife.
10. Placid crystal clear waters
I must say that I prefer lake and river cruises to ocean sailing. The waters of Lake Zurich were extremely calm and thus no concerns about sea sickness.
🔎 SIDEWALK SAFARI SPOTLIGHT
Looking for other cool things to do on a trip to Switzerland? Why not:
- Spend a weekend traveling from Geneva to Lausanne to Montreux?
- Discover fun things to do in Zurich in winter?
- Keep an eye out for the birds of Switzerland on your travels?
- Take a Zurich day trip by train to Rapperswil or visit Stein am Rhein and Rhine Falls by car?
- Enjoy a quick trip to Lucerne in winter?
- Visit Basel in December and celebrate New Year's Eve?
- Go hiking on the North Face Trail one of the many awesome things to do near Wengen?
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