LGBTQI+-friendly holidays in Zurich, Switzerland. Photo / Getty Images
Though Zurich may be known to the world as a conservative financial centre, Switzerland’s largest city is anything but straight-laced. Just ask the lesbian mayor, writes Robert La Bua
To some people, Switzerland may seem to be a European counterpart to New Zealand due to both countries’ marvellous mountain landscapes, multicultural populations, and appreciation for purity in their food and environment. Why, then, bother going to the other side of the world to visit a country similar to one’s own?
For the differences rather than the similarities: immersion in another language, rich architectural patrimony, and excellent wines unknown outside the country because the Swiss drink up the nation’s entire production themselves. The money is different, too. Given the importance of money in Switzerland, Swiss franc notes are particularly beautiful, designed by graphic designer Manuela Pfrunder. You will need plenty of them; Switzerland’s reputation as an expensive destination is based on a true story but there is certainly a difference between expensive and overpriced. In Switzerland, where quality means everything, you get what you pay for; the Swiss expect nothing less than the best. Compared to London, New York, or Sydney, where high prices do not always correlate to high quality, Swiss prices can even seem reasonable, especially when they are zero; that is the cost of entry to Zurich’s fabulous Kunsthaus art museum on Wednesdays.
Let us, then, focus on quality — specifically, the quality of Swiss society in general. Switzerland for centuries has been a safe haven for people seeking refuge from hardship and harassment in their homelands. Today, the country’s major cities are thriving thanks to the diversity of their populations. In Zurich especially, this includes the LGBTQI+ community. Zurich’s openly gay mayor, Corine Mauch, was first elected in 2009 and, after reelection and a decade in power, remains highly regarded and respected as the first woman ever to lead the city. Thankfully, her sexuality is not a consideration in her job evaluation. Zurich’s sophisticated residents feel neither the need nor the insecurity to judge people on sexual orientation. On the contrary, the many LGBTQI+ festivals and events taking place throughout the year attest to the openmindedness of the city’s residents. In 2023, Zurich’s Pride Festival takes place in mid-June, preceded on the calendar by the Pink Apple film festival from April 26 - May 5 and followed by the incredible Street Parade, the biggest techno dance party in the world, on August 12. It’s not all sweaty torsos and Grindr distances, though; for those of us who opt to remain fully clothed, Zurich will host the International Conference on Gender, Sexuality, and Diversity Studies on September 16-17.
Not that it takes a festival to turn Zurich pink. It is always pink. It has been pink for a long time; laws against homosexuality were abolished in Switzerland in 1942. Today, the non-profit organisation Swiss LGBTI Label lives up to its motto “quality for equality” in its mission to educate Swiss business and government organisations about the importance of diversity in the workplace and out. The City of Zurich and Swiss National Railways are among the entities awarded Swiss LGBTI Label status.
Zurich’s Old Town may be old in name but is young in spirit, with many progressive restaurants and bars sprinkled around the historical laneways, including the famous Cafe Bar Odeon, which has existed for more than 100 years. So has Hiltl, the world’s first vegetarian restaurant; it opened in 1898. Talk about embracing alternative lifestyles early on. Hiltl sponsors outdoor DJ and dance parties (beats, bass, and booze) that are very popular with young Swiss of all orientations. The very fashionable Confiserie Sprungli is a favourite for lunches that inevitably end with one of the superb desserts for which Sprungli is renowned. In Switzerland, dessert often means chocolate. No visit to Zurich would be complete without a visit to the Lindt Home of Chocolate on the edge of the city in Kilchberg. Located on the factory grounds of Switzerland’s famous manufacturer of delectable Lindor balls and myriad other choco treats, the Home of Chocolate is an interactive museum presenting the history of the Swiss chocolate industry before visitors reach the climax of their encounter in the sampling rooms where balls are there for the taking if you just reach out and grab them.
A trip to the Lindt Home of Chocolate is an activity that can be arranged by the helpful staff at the unique Widder Hotel, a series of centuries-old houses connected to form one of the most exquisite hotels in Switzerland. Widder’s stylish rooms and suites are all different in decor, some contemporary, others reflecting the history of the houses. The hotel’s convivial August Brasserie provides the opportunity to sample classic Swiss foods in an atmospheric venue staffed by friendly people who are paragons of gracious hospitality, personified by all the hotel’s employees. Widder’s in-house bar is as impressive as the rest of the place, with its wall of semiprecious lapis lazuli stone tiles and other sublime details such as the three-dimensional ram’s head menus of unusual cocktails (widder means ram in German, as illustrated by an obviously horny animal decorating the hotel’s exterior wall, clearly excited to welcome guests). The bar is an occasional venue for small-scale musical performances, so hotel guests can be entertained without even leaving the premises. Those who do leave will be welcome at Kweer, Cranberry, Barometer, Predigerhof, and Heldenbar, all within convenient walking distance from Widder’s central location. Across the way is Widder Residences, four self-contained apartments with multiple bedrooms perfect for groups of friends or those seeking a higher level of privacy and exclusivity. Widder is a member of The Living Circle, an intimate group of hotels that seek to provide the highest quality experience for their guests while maintaining a connection to nature. If the food and wine at Widder seem exceptionally delicious, it is because they are exceptionally pure.
As do the Swiss across the country, Zurich residents maintain a healthy love of the outdoors and are fortunate to have many opportunities for athletic pursuits on land and on the water in the immediate vicinity. Easy walks around Lake Zurich and more challenging hikes in the nearby hills and mountains can be complemented with water sports on the lake. For those who can’t miss a workout, there are gyms across the city. Like big and strong? Perhaps an experience watching Switzerland’s distinctive Schwingen wrestling would be of interest. Schwingen wrestler Curdin Orlik is the country’s first openly gay active male athlete and is likely to participate in tournaments in Canton Zurich in April (Winterthur) and May (Zurich).
To stimulate the mind as well as the body, Zurich is home to several excellent museums such as the Kunsthaus art museum, the Landesmuseum—an astonishingly rich repository of Swiss history, not to be missed—and the Museum Rietberg, a space for temporary exhibitions in a former estate set in sylvan parkland above the lake.
Travelling around Zurich and all of Switzerland is extremely simple by public transport. The city’s trams go everywhere and the country’s extensive rail network is praised as one of the best in the world. Indeed, national pride in Swiss trains extends even to Pfrunder’s 10-franc notes featuring railway tracks on the inverse. The easiest way to take trains in Switzerland is with a rail pass that dispenses with the need to buy individual tickets for every trip. International Rail provides options for passes just for Switzerland or for travel that includes other countries in Europe. Soon to open an office in New Zealand, International Rail currently looks after its Australasian clientele from its office in Melbourne.
Only 20 minutes from Zurich’s main station, and an even shorter trip from Zurich Airport railway station, is Winterthur, Canton Zurich’s clean little secret. Few international visitors to Switzerland venture to Winterthur despite its outstanding cultural attractions, yet this easygoing city can serve as an appealing base for visitors who perhaps prefer a smaller-town atmosphere and less expensive accommodation. Winterthur’s Fotozentrum houses the Swiss Foundation for Photography and the Fotomuseum; the evocative works of rebellious lesbian Annemarie Schwarzenbach, one of Switzerland’s most lauded photojournalists, are sometimes on display here. The splendid Oskar Reinhart Collection shows off the best of Swiss art with works by Felix Vallotton, Ferdinand Hodler, Karl Hofer, and Hermann Haller. If these names are unfamiliar, it is because the Swiss guard their art as judiciously as they do their wines; the Oskar Reinhart Collection rarely lends its masterpieces to other institutions.
Park Hotel Winterthur, where the Art Suite provides a touch of creativity without getting out of bed, is a youthful establishment with a perfect balance of professional efficiency and a relaxed ambience. Park Hotel is a short stroll from the railway station and the Winterthur Museum Of Art, the third member of Winterthur’s trilogy of culture and equally formidable as a showcase for Swiss art. Park Hotel’s garden is glorious in the warmer months when the hotel’s Bloom restaurant makes good use of the terrace in serving guests an array of tempting dishes in a welcoming natural environment.
“A welcoming natural environment” sums up Switzerland rather well for LGBTQI+ visitors. Isn’t it nice to go on holiday to a place where you can just be your natural self?
For more to see and do, visit myswitzerland.com/en-nz/destinations/zurich
The trendy spot is just six minutes from the Waikiki beach.