Schanzengraben

The Schanzengraben is an idyllic waterside promenade that lies around 2 meters (6.5 feet) below street level. It links Zurich Main Station with Lake Zurich and zigzags over a boardwalk and sandstone slabs along the Old Botanical Garden, which was built in 1837. Here, benches and exotic trees invite visitors to stop and linger. The men’s public swimming bath, Flussbad am Schanzengraben, is also located here. While admission to the bath is reserved for men during the day, on summer evenings it transforms into the popular Rimini bar, which is open to all genders.

The easiest way to get down to the canal is next to the Rio Bar, just behind Migros City, or by the Gessnerallee Theater. Every few hundred meters, the Schanzengraben can be easily exited again via various staircases.

The baroque Schanzenstern – a huge fortification structure – was built between 1642 and 1678 as one of the most ambitious construction projects in the city’s history.