Discovering Zug

The small lakeside town of Zug is a lovely place to visit at any time: it always exudes a holiday atmosphere. In summertime there are the added pleasures of enjoying a coffee or a cold drink in one of the open air cafes near the lake, taking a ride on a pedalo or enjoying lunch on a boat while cruising around the lake of Zug. On Thursday 25 July, the ZIWA Discovering Zurich and Switzerland group did just that. Except the pedaloes - we saved that watery pursuit for another day.

Exploring Zug

Fast trains to Zug run every half an hour from Zurich HB, Thalwil and Luzern. From Zug station it's a 10 minute walk to the lake, where to the right one can find the departure point for short and long cruises around the beautiful and peaceful Zugersee. Strolling left lakeside past the gardens and the twin swans sculpture, one reaches the main square, the Landsgemeindeplatz. From here the Lunch Boats depart, pedalo and motor boat hire can quickly be arranged, or one can sit on the terraces of cafes Domus or Muehle to enjoy a drink and take in the atmosphere. Beside the lake there are two large aviaries, home to scarlet ibis, avocet, golden pheasant and snowy owls.

Then a short stroll will take you around the Altstadt or old town streets of Fischmarkt, Ober-Altstadt and Unter-Altstadt. Here there are many small chic shops, art galleries and restaurants as well as the Fischerei Museum. This is the site of the plaque commemorating the floods of 1435 when 60 local people lost their lives. The bronze Greth Schell fountain is a curiosity - the old lady carries the devil on her back. Look out for the two-level shopping parade and the antique shop signs.

Above the old town in Kolinplatz stands the Zytturm or clock tower, and from the top there's a great view over the rooftops of Zug and the outlook towards the Zugersee, the hill which overshadows the town and is worth a climb on another occasion. A favourite restaurant is the Liguria, formerly known as the Hecht, with the sign of the pike. Its airy dining room offers a terrific view over the lake and the menu and service are something special. For a more traditional venue, you could also try the Restaurant Aklin or the Rathauskeller.

Treat yourself to lunch on board!

It's advisable to book ahead for this splendid lunch service. The lunch boats depart from the Landsgemeindeplatz on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the summer months. The service is particularly good and the choice of menus very reasonable. For the price of CHF33 with Halbtax, one can enjoy a two course lunch with a choice of two salads and five fish, meat or vegetarian dishes. For a couple of francs more there's also a Business Lunch menu with a similar number of options. Coffee and drinks are extra. The meal is quickly served, allowing time to gaze out onto the view of the banks of the Zugersee and the small towns of Buonas, Oberwil and Cham.

Markets and stores

The cherry season normally occurs in June and July, and we were just in time to sample the selection of large, juicy cherries at the Chriesimaert in the main square. The best cherries I've tasted all year! Nearby in the new town is a branch of department store Manor, a bookshop with a great selection of English books, and many other shops and stores. There's a large car park Neustadt by Coop which can be reached from the main road inwards from Zurich. Parking is also possible at Casino. 

Open air concerts

In summer there are open air concerts held in the main square, the Landsgemeindeplatz, every Wednesday evening. So find a table in one of the lakeside cafes and sit back and enjoy the atmosphere.

Try our quiz!

ZIWA Discoverers always keep their eyes open for curiosities and fascinating facts. Try our quiz! Fourteen people took part, and six completed the quiz correctly. The winning tie-breaker slogan 'I like discovering Zug because of ... its beautiful setting, nice old town, good restaurants' was suggested by regular group member Helga, who won a bottle of Kirsch.

How well do you know Zug? Answers are at the bottom.

1. What two famous mountains can you see in Zug on a good day?

2. What popular summer fruit can you buy at the Zuger Chriesimärt?

3. Which of the following boats might you see on the Zugersee (tick 1 or more)?

Rigi,   Zug,  Gotthard,  Schwyz 

4. What is the name of the hill which overlooks Zug? 

5. When did 60 people lose their lives in floods (look around in the Altstadt)?

6. Which of these places is not a stop on the Zug boat trips?

a) Buonas     b) Oberwil    c) Weggis

7. What is the name of the old woman in the fountain at Unter Altstadt?

8. What score was awarded to the Rathauskeller by the Guide Bleu?

9. When was Aklin the butcher’s founded?

a) 1862 b) 1892 c) 1856

10. What fish is the former name of the Restaurant Liguria?

Find out more

For more information about Zug and the boats on the lake, see these links:

http://www.zug-tourismus.ch/en/welcome.cfm

http://www.zugersee-schifffahrt.ch/en/home/

For a little piece of heaven in central Switzerland, hurry and make a trip to Zug. You won't regret it!

Quiz Answers:

1. Rigi, Pilatus. 2. Cherries. 3. Rigi, Zug, Schwyz. 4. Zugerberg. 5. 4 March 1435. 6. Weggis. 7. Greth Schell.8. 7.5. 9. 1862. 10. Hecht (Pike).

Written by Julia Newton, 31 July 2013.

Restaurant of the Month - June 2013

Bodega Espanola - Muenstergasse 15, 8001 Zurich
044 251 23 10 (no website)

This well-established Spanish restaurant in Zurich's Niederdorf area offers traditional Spanish food on two levels. The ZIWA Dining Around the World lunch group opted for the spacious first floor restaurant where 18 of us gathered round a long table to try dishes from the lunch menu suggestions or the a la carte list. We were offered a choice of two types of gazpacho, traditional or gazpacho blanco, a parrillada de pescado or fried fish platter with or without seafood, the zarzuela or seafood stew served in a large dish at our table, and a range of beef, pork and vegetarian dishes. We were not disappointed!

The food was freshly cooked, hot, and quickly served as long as we stuck to the set dishes, and we had the full attention of our waiter. To accompany our meal there was a good selection of Spanish house wines including a delicious white Rioja or a red Priorat. Price for a two course meal with wine at lunchtime was quite expensive at over CHF70, but there were cheaper options.

We could also have tried the tortilla omelette, ordered a paella for two or chosen a meat dish.


Downstairs there is a tapas bar where they sometimes have live music in the evenings. There is also some outdoor seating for those pleasant sunny days and evenings. The restaurant is over 100 years old and also boasts its own wine cellar across the road, which is worth a tour.

For traditional Spanish dishes in the heart of Zurich's old town, make a booking at Bodega Espanola.



Other Spanish restaurants in and around the Zurich area:
La Fuente in Rapperswil, offers a superb range of tapas. Eat outside when it's fine. See this report: http://juliasswitzerland.blogspot.ch/2012/09/restaurant-of-month-september-2012.html
Casa Aurelia in Langstrasse Zurich has a homely atmosphere and serves well-cooked traditional dishes. http://www.casaaurelio.ch/
The Urania bar in Uraniastrasse serves a good range of tapas, but they are not cheap.

Buen proveche!