Sechselautenplatz

Sechseläutenplatz is the large open square on the lakeside edge of Zurich's city centre, in front of the Opera House, where the Limmat leaves the lake and the Bellevue tram junction hums with activity. The square sits some distance from the main railway station and from the university district, a fact that the usual guidebook lists sometimes miss. It was redesigned in the 2010s as a broad paved space with very few fixed features, which is a deliberate choice: the square is meant to be a stage for events, and an empty surface is the best stage.

The name comes from the city's most famous spring festival. Sechseläuten means the ringing of the six o'clock bells, and it dates from the time when the guilds of Zurich decided that, once the days were long enough in spring, work would continue until the evening bells rang at six. The festival is held every April and is organised by the city's guilds, whose members parade through the streets in historical costume with bands and horses. The high point comes in the evening when a huge bonfire is lit on the square with a snowman figure known as the Böögg stuffed with fireworks on top. Tradition holds that the faster the head of the snowman explodes, the better the summer will be, and the crowds watch the timing with great interest.

Outside the festival, the square is a wide, open place for everyday life. Markets, fairs, concerts, film screenings and fairground attractions are held here at different times of year, and the Zurich Film Festival sets up tents on the square in autumn. On quiet days it is simply a good place to sit on the steps of the Opera House, watch trams and people go by and look toward the lake. Cafés and restaurants around the edge offer places to rest.

The position is excellent for walking. Within a few minutes you can reach the lakeside promenade, the bridge over the Limmat, the old town and the shopping streets, and the paddle steamers and lake boats leave from nearby piers. The Opera House itself is one of the city's cultural landmarks.

If you are in Zurich in April, it is worth checking the festival dates and planning a visit, because the atmosphere is unlike any other event in the city.