“What do you do when it’s summer time in India?” the Swiss woman seated next to me asks as we look out across Lake Zurich from our vantage point.
We cast our gaze along the lakeshore, watching a typical Swiss summer unfold. People pedal away furiously in retro paddle boats; others choose the stand-up paddle option. Some plunge into the lake to cool off, while others sit on the grass with coffees in hand, catching up. Around us, joggers, dog-walkers, and families complete the picture of a city turned inside out.
I turn back to my new companion. “Nothing like this,” I laugh. “We switch on the AC and simmer indoors.”
A city that turns outwards
Chocolate, banking, and precision clocks may be Zurich’s clichés, but summer in Switzerland’s largest city tells another story. When the days stretch long and luminous, Zurich turns outwards: to its lakes, rivers, and open-air stages.
The heartbeat of Zurich’s summer lies in its badis, the lakeside and riverside bathing spots woven into the city’s identity. They are more than swimming pools; they are social rituals.
At Strandbad Mythenquai, with its grassy lawns and long waterfront decks, swimmers dive into Lake Zurich’s clear blue expanse. Families spread picnic blankets under the trees, while sunbathers linger for hours, a book in one hand but often gazing at the horizon framed by the Alps.
Those who can’t sit can rent a paddleboard and glide across the lake. Out there, the panorama of the city softens: church spires rise above rooftops, the hurly-burly of Bahnhofstrasse fades, and Zurich seems to dissolve into shimmering reflections.
If adventure is not your thing, the city’s retro pedalo boats—bright, slightly kitschy, and very 1970s—offer the gentlest summer ride. Drift, race friends, or simply float as the lake becomes a playground of colour and rhythm. We do that too, slowly pedalling our way across the lake, and putting names to famous buildings.
Not too far is another local favourite: Seebad Enge. Wooden decks stretch into the lake, where regulars swim laps while others sip aperitifs on lounge chairs. It doubles as a wellness retreat: morning yoga on the dock, shiatsu in wooden cabins, massages by the water.
The city as a stage
In the evenings, Zurich’s streets and waterfronts morph into theatres as the city embraces performance whole-heartedly.
The crown jewel is Theater Spektakel, an 18-day carnival of experimental theatre, circus, and dance staged along Lake Zurich. Since 1980, it has drawn artists from across the globe, including South American acrobats, Asian contemporary dancers, European theatre troupes.
Late one night, we head to Rundfunk Festival, held in the courtyards of the Swiss National Museum. Medieval towers glow with projections as jazz, hip hop, and experimental ensembles echo under fairy-lit trees. I grab a drink and look around. My idea of Zurich as a solemn financial hub is dying a slow death.
Especially after Zurich Openair, the city’s biggest contemporary music festival. Staged near the airport over two weekends each August, it draws global headliners. This year’s lineup, including Post Malone, Rita Ora, and Shawn Mendes, kept locals and travellers on their feet into the small hours.
Following water through the city
Beyond festivals and lakes, Zurich’s most constant summer companion is water. The city has over 1,200 public fountains, each offering cool, drinkable alpine water. It’s common to see joggers pausing to drink straight from a fountain or locals topping up bottles on their commute. To a visitor from India, where water is so often bought, sealed, and rationed, the simple act of sipping freely from a centuries-old stone fountain feels almost radical—a small luxury hidden in plain sight.
Some fountains are small, tucked into neighbourhood corners; others are striking landmarks. A guided ‘Water in Zurich’ walking tour reveals this hidden dimension: how fountains supplied the city long before modern plumbing, how canals ran beneath cobbled streets, and how water remains knitted into Zurich’s identity.
Water is vital to life everywhere, but in Zurich it seems to be an unmissable visual thread that links the neighbourhoods and people. It’s everywhere: in the vast lake, by the riverside badis, and in the old fountains. In a city that’s renowned for precision, it’s a nudge to pause, play, and unwind. Outdoors!