The Best Picnic Spots in Zürich (2022 Edition)

After a long and cold winter the sunny days are back in Zürich and what is a better way to celebrate than with a lovely picnic around town? Thanks to our love for picnics we were able to discover many new places around the city we didn’t know and thought it would be great to share them with you.

First things first, get yourself a lovely picnic basket - this is one of our favorite ones from Globus but you can also another great one here and a cheaper and less fancy version here. If you’re not really a basket person just pack up your things and walk/cycle/tram your ways to these beautiful spots:

Parks

Zürich is full of parks so it only makes sense that the first picnic recommendations are in and around some of these nature spots. We try to stay away from bigger and more crowded parks like Chinagarten, Enge and Mythenquai as they tend to get too crowded especially on the weekends.

1) Rieterpark - easily accessible with public transport, the Rieterpark is a tranquil oasis perfect for a picnic. It doesn’t get too crowded and you have great views of the lake. You can also combine your picnic with a visit to the Rietberg Museum which is right there

2) Klopstockwiese - we love this place as it is right in town but at the same time never full. There is a tram/bus stop right in front of the Klopstockwiese so it really can’t get easier to reach. If you don’t feel like making your own picnic basket you can also pop in to Yalda in Sihlcity and bring your food to the park.

3) Allmend - Allmend is very big so even when it’s crowded you always somehow feel alone if you pick a good spot. We love Allmend as it is filled with life and joy (a lot of people walking their dogs or going for runs/bikes). You can combine your picnic in Allmend with a nice walk/bike ride along the river.

4) Botanical Garden - our favorite small park and probably the least crowded and shady one even in warm summer days. In the Botanical Garden you will find your peace and a perfect spot to do your picnic. Bring a book for total relaxation.

By the Lake

There is nothing better than eating some good food and putting your feed in the water on a warm summer day. Even though we enjoy all of lake Zürich there are some places that are just too crowded for a picnic. These are our top spots:

1) Anlage Unterer Mönchhhof - it’s a little bit outside of Zürich but you can get here by bus/bike. The space is quite small but this also means it’s usually not super crowded. We recommend to do a takeaway from Mönchhof am See and get the truffle fries to complement your picnic.

2) Sulzergut - also a bit outside Zürich but extremely cute and clean. You can spend the whole day here bathing, reading and eating your picnic.

3) Tauchplatz, kleier Parkplatz - this place is best reached by bike. Very cute and never too full (a reason for this might be that there are no bars, restaurants or shops too close by so make sure you bring everything you need)

4) Werdinsel - Yes, Werdinsel tends to get pretty full but we thought we would include it anyways as it is a very special place in Zürich - a little island in the river where you can relax, swim and picnic. We recommend going during the week or earlier during the day on Saturday/Sunday.

Other great places

Another great picnic spots is of course the Uetliberg, perfect for a day trip when you can hike up/take the train up, enjoy your picnic and then walk down. Try to stay away from the masses and the wooden tables made for picnics as they are always full and find yourself a nice spot just for you.

If you want a little more peace head over to Adlisberg for a hike and picnic. Here you will also find multiple grill stations in case you want to bring some sausaces/halloumi or veggies to grill.

We also really enjoy spending time in Pfannenstiel and doing our picnic adventures there. Same as for the Uetliberg and Adlisberg, Pfannenstiel can get busy but it is a very large area so you can easily find a peaceful spot.

If you are looking for a “city” picnic we have the perfect spot for you. The MFO Park in Oerlikon is a steal construction that blooms in spring/summer with green leaves and plants surrounding you. You can find pictures here. Another great city picnic spot are the dock areas close to the Bauschänzli where you can eat right next to the Limmat (picture below).

We hope you enjoy your picnic in one of the best picnic spots in town and let us know if you have any secret spots which should be added to our list.