Things to do in Zurich

Zurich Old Town: Niederdorf, Lindenhof and the medieval lanes

Zurich’s Old Town lies on both banks of the River Limmat, with guild houses, churches and historic squares. Starting at Zurich main station, you can easily discover it on your own, including the Niederdorf.

Where
District 1, both banks of the Limmat
From Zürich HB
Lindenhof 533 m, Niederdorf 597 m (straight line)
Admission
Public streets and squares
Guided walk
Zürich Tourism Old Town tour
Rooftops of Zurich Old Town on both banks of the Limmat seen from above
The Old Town on both banks of the Limmat. Photo: “Altstadt Zürich 2015.jpg” by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE.

What to see

Niederdorf. The Niederdorf is a pedestrian zone running parallel to the Limmatquai, with shops, cafés and restaurants; in the evening it becomes a nightlife district. The name literally means "low village", and locals affectionately call the Niederdorf and Oberdorf area "Dörfli". The riverside Limmatquai has been free of through traffic since 2004.

Lindenhof. The Lindenhof hill is considered Zurich’s historic nucleus and is the oldest public green space in the city: its use as a public park and the planting of 52 lime trees are first recorded in 1422. From the top you look across to the Old Town, the Grossmünster, City Hall, the Limmat, the University and ETH Zurich.

Augustinergasse and St. Peter. Zürich Tourism singles out Augustinergasse, with its old colourful houses, bay windows and lanterns, as especially beautiful and photogenic. St. Peter is described as Zurich’s oldest church and has the largest tower clock face in Europe.

Cobbled Niederdorfstrasse in Zurich Old Town with shops and café tables
Niederdorfstrasse, the pedestrian heart of the Niederdorf. Photo: “Niederdorfstrasse Zürich 2022-09-24 01.jpg” by Leonhard Lenz, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0.

A short history

  • The medieval town was split into the "greater town" on the right (east) bank and the "lesser town" on the left (west) bank.
  • The City of Zurich describes the Lindenhof as first a Celtic settlement and, from 15 BC, a Roman military base. Zürich Tourism notes a Roman fort there in the 4th century and a royal palace built by a grandson of Charlemagne in the 9th century.
  • A Roman tombstone preserves the Roman name of Zurich, "Turicum"; a copy is set in the wall on the way up to the Lindenhof.
  • The Lindenhof fountain figure by Gustav Siber recalls the legend of Zurich’s women who, in 1292, gathered there in battle dress and deterred the army of Duke Albrecht I of Habsburg.
  • In 1798 the oath sealing the Helvetic Constitution was taken on the Lindenhof.

Tips for your visit

  • On the Lindenhof, locals play chess under the lime trees; pétanque tournaments and theatre performances are held regularly. The city lists a playground and a barrier-free toilet there.
  • The Niederdorf street festival "Dörflifäscht" takes place at the end of August.
  • Zürich Tourism runs an approximately two-hour guided Old Town walking tour from the main station via Bahnhofstrasse and the Lindenhof to the Grossmünster.
  • Combine the walk with the Fraumünster and its Chagall windows on the west bank.

Getting there from Zürich HB

  • The Old Town, including the Niederdorf, can easily be explored on foot starting from Zurich main station.
  • Zürich Tourism lists the Lindenhof at 533 m and the Niederdorf at 597 m from the main station (straight-line distances; the walk is a little longer).
  • The Lindenhof is reached on foot through narrow medieval lanes.