Zurich is not only Switzerland’s largest city. It’s also an economic and cultural center of the country. The city attracts visitors with numerous business and entertainment activities, stunning architecture, amazing natural landscapes and all kinds of entertainment.
Unfortunately, only a few consider Zurich as a great place to relax with children. But there are so many interesting sights and activities for young tourists there! Here’re some of the best spots to visit with your kids in Zurich…
Knies Kinderzoo
Knies Kinderzoo will bring a lot of fun to the visitors of all ages! It’s a home for four hundred animals of 44 different species. Among them are such rare ones as the Asian elephant and the Rothschild giraffe.
A distinctive feature of Knies Kinderzoo is the opportunity to communicate with animals in the immediate vicinity: feed them, take photos with the fur seals, ride ponies and camels, and watch the bathing of an elephant.
Performance of sea lions will also please children, as well as communication with lemurs or monkeys. The zoo features a large children’s playground, and riding on a horse-drawn tram will give time to relax.
By appointment, Knies Kinderzoo offers various additional programs. Among them are evening walks, monkey breakfast and even a birthday party. For 200 francs you can try yourself in the role of a zoo employee and help to take care of the animals.
After visiting Knies Kinderzoo your kids will be full of bright impressions and inexpressible emotions from a spending the time with animals!
Address: Oberseestrasse 36, 8640 Rapperswill
Hours: daily 9am-6pm
Admission: adults 16+ CHF19, kids 4-16 CHF 6, kids under 4 free of charge
Kindercity
(photo by Thomas Winter)
In recent years, entertainment centers for children constructed in the form of a mini-city, become more popular. Kindercity, situated not far from Zurich is one of these parks. It’s the largest educational and entertainment center in the whole country. It covers the area of about 6 thousand square meters, where each little visitor will find something interesting.
In Kindercity you will find playgrounds with children’s carting and locomotives, as well as workshops where your kid will try himself as a scientist, baker, engineer, and even a gardener.
Address: Chlirietstrasse 12
Hours: daily 10am-6pm
Admission: knowledge lanes kids CHF16.5, adults 22.5; workshops CHF16.5
Zürcher Spielzeugmuseum
https://flic.kr/p/9JkuQQ
(photo by Celisa B.M.Serra)
Toy Museum in Zurich is a ‘must visit’ point of the excursion program not only for the youngest tourists, but also for those who want plunge into the fairy-tale world of childhood.
Toy Museum of Zurich offers a rich collection of toys from the XVIII to the beginning of the XX century: from different-sized trains to tiny puppet chairs and vehicles of different models – copies of cars produced from the late 18th century to the mid-20th century. Also, you can find there old board games, wooden toys and books for kids. Separate racks are reserved for soft toys, particularly for Teddy bears, for which the whole room was prepared.
All local exhibits reflect the art of several directions at once. For example, trains and locomotives are ‘witnesses’ of the technological revolution. Dolls and their costumes illustrate the fashion of those times. Doll houses replicate the appearance of the household and everyday life of those years.
Most of the toys stored in the museum are German-made. And it’s not surprising – Germany has been a leading manufacturer of toys all over the world for many years.
Address: Fortunagasse 15
Hours: Monday-Saturday 2pm-5pm, Sunday closed
Admission: adults 16+ CHF4, kids under 16 free of charge
Lindt & Sprüngli AG
Lindt & Sprüngli AG is the most famous Swiss factory producing chocolate. So, don’t miss the opportunity to get the pleasure of visiting the chocolate factory of this famous brand.
You can see there the whole process of preparation of a real Swiss chocolate, try different types of chocolate, and learn how to prepare your own traditional desserts and sweets. On the territory of this chocolate factory there is an interesting museum, all exhibits of which, of course, are made of chocolate. In addition, there is also a great shop, where you can buy delicious sweets and other interesting souvenirs.
Address: Seestrasse 204, 8802 Kilchberg
Hours: Monday-Friday 10am-7pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday closed
Aathal Dinosaur Museum
The Dinosaur Museum is situated in the suburbs of Zurich, and has worked for more than 20 years. The workers of the museum proudly call the institution ‘the empire of dinosaurs.’
Long ago, the building of the museum was a textile factory, and now on the area of 1500 square meters there are about two hundred exhibits illustrating different types of dinosaurs – from the smallest to the 23-meter-long brachiosaurus. There is a unique opportunity to plunge in the world of ancient civilization and learn about its features. Many facts of the life of the lizards are still hidden from us, but the exposures reveal the most fully-known information in various ways. In addition to the animal figures, you will also find their photos, watch movies and video clips about the life of the lizards and excavations, and even touch the fragments of the bones of these lizards. Visiting the museum is recommended both for adults and children. For schoolchildren there are excursions and master classes. The museum has a cafe, as well as a gift shop.
Address: Zürichstrasse 69, 8607 Aathal
Hours: Thursday-Sunday 10am-5pm, Monday closed
Admission: adults CHF 21, kids under 5-16 CHF 11
Zurich is a suitable destination for traveling, even in case you have your kids with you. If you like amazing entertainments and want to please your kid, visit at least several places from this list. By the way, it’s recommended to use Zurich car rental in order to reach some of these sights, because not all of them are situated directly in the city.
