How to find your zen in the city

Finance and fondue might be the first things that spring to mind when you think of Zurich, but the reality is far greener than you might expect.

Located around a lake and a river, and surrounded by hills, this is the perfect place to get back to nature.

We round up the best places to soothe your inner greenie.

Chinese Garden

One of the highest-ranking temple gardens outside China, this unexpectedly serene spot right by the lake at the Zürichhorn features a pond at its heart, a small island, pavilions and even a small palace.

A gift from the partner town of Kunming in China, it represents a thank you for help received from Zurich in expanding drinking water supplies and urban drainage.

Katzensee Swimming Area

Who wouldn’t want to take a dip in a natural pool right beside a forest? This beauty spot at Zurich’s city limits draws people with its 80 metre beach, a lawn for sunbathing, barbecue spots galore and a kids’ playground.

Leave the lilos at home though – as a nature preserve, inflatables are not allowed.

Leave the swimmers at home too, if you’re that way inclined. There’s a separate area for naked bathing.

Lake Zurich

Perhaps the city’s most famous natural asset, Lake Zurich is the perfect place to indulge in a little swimming, boating or even a picnic on the lake’s banks.

Shaped like a banana, the lake is framed on the southern side by the Albis and Zimmerberg hills and on the north by the Pfannenstiel chain of hills with Zurich at its western end.

Head into the forests that slope gently upwards from the water or take to the sand. Popular Mythenquai Beach is a fine sandy stretch where you can swim and even paddle board.

Rieterpark

With more than 70,000 square metres of space, this is the largest park in Zurich.

Located not far from Lake Zurich, the park and its villa were built in 1855 with some of the beech trees part of the original grove.

Enjoy pretty views of the Glarus Alps from your spot on the grass here on a clear day.

Old Botanical Garden

The name is a bit of a giveaway, but even older than Rieterpark is the Old Botanical Garden tucked away in the heart of downtown.

Dtaing back to 1837, the gardens are home to a number of old trees and also a mediaeval herb garden called the “Gessner Garden” which offers visitors an insight into the 16th century knowledge of medicinal plants. There’s also the palm house which today is used mainly for concerts, theatre and exhibitions.

Uetliburg

Towering over the rooftops of Zurich is Uetliberg – the city’s very own mountain. Tackle its slopes, which rise to not insignificant 2,850 feet above sea level, and you’ll be rewarded with spectacular views of both the city and lake. On a clear day, a glimpse of the Alps may come as an extra treat.

Hiking and mountain biking are the most popular activities here in summer, but the trails turn into sledding runs for a different type of fun in winter.

Bäckeranlage

Slap bang in the middle of the lively 4^th district, the Bäckeranlage is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful green areas in the city.

It offers an escape from the daily routine for office workers who gather here to eat their lunch outside, families are drawn by the open space and kids by the table tennis tables.

City Gardens Zurich

If flowers are your thing, then this is the place for you. This is where the plants for the city’s public flowerbeds are cultivated, with around 250,000 plants grown each year.

As a result, it is a meadow of brightly coloured flowers, pumpkin plantations as well as greenhouses filled with tropical and subtropical plants.

Sound good? You can now win one of two double packages to Zurich – flights, 4-star accommodation, the works – and what’s more, you can take a friend!

Book any ticket on LX using any SWISS fare between October 6 and November 15 2015 and you’ll be in the running to be one of two winners to score a week in Zurich.

To enter, simply email your LX ticket numbers and agency details by 5pm on November 15 2015 with the subject line ‘Visit Zurich’ to info.au@lufthansaexperts.com.

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