ZIWA

What's on in Zürich and around in the region

Spring 2008




Spring is a time of Bank Holidays and special festivals, when the summer season starts on the lake and river boats, and many outdoor activities are possible. However, there are also exhibitions, concerts and shows for those inevitable showery days. And don't forget the Euro2008 football competition! These are some of the possibilities of things to do in Zürich and the surrounding region.


What's on in Zürich:

  • Expovina Primavera, 3 to 10 April 08 at Halle 9, Zürich Oerlikon
    The "young" wine fair is on again at the Messezentrum. Opens 16:00 to 22:00 weekdays, starts 1200 at weekends. Plenty of space here for wine tasting.
    www.expovina-primavera.ch
  • Boat trips on the Zürichsee and the River Limmat
    Summer season on now. Short, medium and long round trips, as well as the lunch boats and other special excursions. www.zsg.ch
  • Grossmünster summer opening, Monday to Saturday 09:15 to 17:00, Sundays 12:30 to 17:00. www.whatsonwhen.com
  • Jazz Concerts
    Zürich is a surprisingly popular venue for visiting jazz musicians and their audiences. Check out the following, and more:
    • John Scofield Trio 1 April 2008 at Kaufleuten, Zürich
    • Chick Corea and Gary Burton 4 April 08 at the Tonhalle
    • Paul Anka 6 April 08 at the Kongresshaus
    • Jimmy Cliff 22 April 08 at the Volkshaus
    • Gilbert O'Sullivan 20 May 08 at the Volkshaus
    • Hugh Masekela 23 May 08 at Kaufleuten
    www.allblues.ch
  • Opera Der Rosenkavalier, Opens 5 April 08 at the Opera House www.opernhaus.ch
  • Medieval Book of Hours Exhibition at the Landesmuseum. Ends 13 April 08 www.slmnet.ch/e
  • Fespo Holidays and Leisure Fair at the MCH Messe Zürich, 31 Jan - 3 Feb 08 www.whatsonwhen.com
  • Concerts at the Hallenstadion
    • Katy Melua,    11 April 2008
    • Mark Knopfler,    14 April 2008
    • Backstreet Boys,    19 April 2008
    • Mozart's Magic Flute,     26 April 2008
    • Celine Dion,    24 June 2008
    www.hallenstadion.ch
  • Concerts at Theater 11 Acapickels go to Las Vegas, 9 to 30 April 08 www.theater11.ch
  • Sechseläuten, till 24 February 08. 14 April 2008 Half-day holiday in Zürich City
    Celebrated to mark the end of winter, this is one of Zürich's most colourful festivals. The name signifies the six o'clock bell which called the workers home. A costume parade of the 26 guilds leads from the Hauptbahnhof down the Bahnhofstrasse to Sechseläutenplatz at Bellevue. Around 3000 guild members, riders and horse-drawn vehicles take part. The climax is the burning of the Böögg, a figure of a snowman, on a bonfire at 6pm; the quicker it burns, the better the summer will be. www.sechselaeuten.ch
  • Circus Knie, 25 April to 25 May 08 at Sechseläutenplatz www.whatsonwhen.com
  • May Day, Ascension Day, 1 May 08
    Both Feiertage fall on the same day this year. Some companies may offer 2 May as an extra holiday! www.feiertagskalendar.ch
  • Mothers' Day, Whitsun, 11 May 08
  • Whit Monday or Pfingstmontag, 12 May 08
    A Feiertag. www.feiertagskalendar.ch
  • Europop exhibition at the Kunsthaus, ends 12 May 08
    If you visit the Kunsthaus frequently, it's worth buying an annual membership card. www.kunsthaus.ch
  • Afrika-Fest in Rieterpark 17, 18 May 08
    An outdoor African festival in the grounds of the Rietberg Museum in Zürich Enge, with food stalls, music and dance, this is always a colourful and popular event, well worth a visit. Coincides with the Cameroon exhibition at the Rietberg. www.stadt-zuerich.ch
  • Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and the Art of Cameroon
    Exhibition at Museum Rietberg, Till 25 May 08 www.stadt-zuerich.ch
  • Iron Man Rapperswil/Jona, 1 June 08
    Swimming/cycling /running competition. The main Zürich event takes place in July. www.whatsonwhen.com
  • Euro 2008 Football tournament, 7 to 29 June 08
    Switzerland and Austria play host to Europe's most prestigious football tournament featuring 16 top European footballing nations (sadly not England). Two of our ZIWA members are acting as marshals/chauffeurs.
    9 June, 13 June, 17 June 2008 matches at Letzigrund Zürich. Other matches take place in Bern, Basel and Geneva. en.euro2008.uefa.com
  • Fathers' Day, 15 June 08
    Not a special day off work, sorry. www.feiertagskalendar.ch
  • Tutenkhamun, his Tomb and its Treasures At the Toni-Areal Zürich, till 29 June 08
    Contains a reconstruction of Tutenkhamun's tomb, with full-size replicas of the child-king's burial chambers and grave relics. A special tram will run, no. 4 to "Fischerweg". www.tut-ausstellung.com
  • Zürcher Festspiele, 20 June - 13 July 08
    The Zürich Festival is a medley of opera performances, concerts, plays, dance and fringe theatre at various locations in and around the city.
    www.zuercher-festspiele.ch   www.myswitzerland.com


And further afield ...

  • Along the Rhine
    Untersee-Rhein river cruise, summer season started 21 March 08
    Kreuzlingen - Stechborn - Stein-am-Rhein - Schaffhausen www.urh.ch
  • Luzern
    • Boats on the Vierwaldstättersee summer season on now www.lakelucerne.ch
    • Concerts
      • James Taylor   10 April at the KKL
      • Dee Dee Bridgewater   12 May at KKL
      www.allblues.ch
  • Winterthur
    Eugene Atget - Paris um 1900, at the Fotomuseum till 25 May 08 www.fotomuseum.ch
  • Zermatt/Verbier
    Patrouille des Glaciers, 16 - 20 April 08
    Hiker-skiers trek along the Swiss/Italian border www.whatsonwhen.com
  • Zug
    • Papierschnittkunst, exhibition till 25 April 08
    • Das Sehen sehen exhibition of paintings by Seurat and Signac at the Kunsthaus Zug till 22 June 08
    • Seenachtsfest on the Zugersee, 21 or 28 June 08
    www.zug-tourismus.ch


by Julia Newton and Joan Nicholas, 30 March 2008

Previous Report:    What's on in Zürich - Winter 2008