Like the UK and much of Europe, summers here are getting hotter; it is a welcome relief to be lakeside in less than 30 minutes from the airport. As with any city, there is an abundance of hotels and accommodation, but I am staying lakeside at the AMERON Zurich Bellerive au Lac , a newly renovated hotel offering Mediterranean charm in a landlocked city.
From the hotel I watch as people swim and sunbathe on floating wooden pontoons. This is a city that takes swimming seriously and I want to get in. Just across the road from the hotel you can dip off rocks beside the footpath or pay to enter the stylish Seebad Utoquai , one of many wooden bathing facilities on the lake. Seebad Utoquai quickly becomes a favourite swimming spot. While the towers no longer exist, due to renovation in , it is still like a palace to me.
You can jump, dive, or step down into the water. There are two platforms in the water for non-swimmers with gendered and mixed areas for sunbathing and socialising. In the morning we attend a yoga session on the top platform with views of the lake and mountains. It is such a simple concept, popular and excellent value. We could learn a lot from the Swiss. It is heaven. I arrived in the city late afternoon and there is plenty to do: a city tour on hired bikes, walking, or using the fantastic tram system.
The card also gives you free or discounted admission to museums and other experiences. I love tram travel: it is a brilliant way to see the city and so easy to navigate.
Again, we could learn a lot from the Swiss! After a tram ride through the old town I arrive in the Industriequartier, a bit like Shoreditch in London. Very fashionable, lots of shipping containers turned into bars and shops, restaurants set up in the arches of a viaduct. A short walk and I am riverside with my travel companions.
