The long blue shape you see from the Uetliberg is Lake Zurich, around 40 kilometres from the city to its upper end. The lake boats of the ZSG leave from Bürkliplatz at the foot of Bahnhofstrasse, on round trips from about an hour and a half to most of a day.
Two of the city’s most visited attractions are close to the western shore. The Lindt Home of Chocolate in Kilchberg, opened in 2020, is a chocolate museum with a towering chocolate fountain in its atrium. The FIFA Museum, beside Enge station, tells the story of world football.
Top things to do: Lake Zurich, Lindt & the FIFA Museum
Take a lake cruise
The short round trip is the simplest way on to the water. The boats are part of the public-transport network, so zone tickets and day passes are valid, and the Zürich Card has included the short cruise; longer trips need more zones.
Visit the Lindt Home of Chocolate
Allow at least an hour and a half for the exhibition, the tastings and the shop. Tickets are for a fixed time slot and often sell out at weekends, in school holidays and on rainy days — book in advance.
See the FIFA Museum
Three floors on the history of the game, with the World Cup trophy as the centrepiece and an interactive area that keeps children busy.
Swim in the lake
In summer the lake is clean and warm enough for swimming, and the city’s lakeside bathing spots (“Badis”) are an institution.
Getting there: Lake Zurich, Lindt & the FIFA Museum
- Bürkliplatz (boats): ten to fifteen minutes on foot down Bahnhofstrasse from the main station, or by tram.
- Lindt Home of Chocolate: bus 165 from Bürkliplatz to the stop outside, or train to Kilchberg and a walk; in season some boats call at Kilchberg.
- FIFA Museum: opposite Zürich Enge station, one S-Bahn stop or a few tram stops from the main station.
Insider tips
- A day that starts in fog is a good day for chocolate and football first, and the mountain later if the fog lifts.
- On the boat, sit on the right when leaving Zurich for a view of the Uetliberg and the Albis ridge.
- The Lindt shop can be visited without a museum ticket.
- Check museum opening days — some Zurich museums close on Mondays.
Best tours & tickets for Lake Zurich, Lindt & the FIFA Museum
These top-rated experiences pair well with a visit to Lake Zurich, Lindt & the FIFA Museum:
Coach tour + cruise from €80 Zurich: Guided Tour, Lake Cruise & Lindt Home of Chocolate
Zurich’s best-selling combination tour, with more than 5,600 reviews: a guided drive through the city, a boat trip on the lake and a visit to the Lindt chocolate museum. It fills the half of the day you are not spending on the mountain.
- Guided coach tour past Zurich’s main sights
- Short cruise on Lake Zurich
- Entry to the Lindt Home of Chocolate in Kilchberg
Entry ticket from €15 Lindt Home of Chocolate: Museum Entry Ticket
Timed entry to Zurich’s most popular indoor attraction, with more than 11,000 reviews. Slots sell out at weekends and in bad weather, so book ahead — it is the obvious plan B when the Uetliberg is in cloud.
- Interactive chocolate museum with a giant chocolate fountain
- Tastings along the way
- A very large Lindt shop
Entry ticket from €28 Zurich: FIFA Museum Entry Ticket
Entry to the football museum near Enge station, a few tram stops from the main station. A solid indoor option for football fans and families on a wet or foggy day.
- The history of world football and the World Cup
- Original trophies and memorabilia
- Interactive games area
