6 Cultural Attractions to Visit on Day Trips from Zurich

26 Nov 2024

While Zurich has more than enough things to see, do, eat, drink and buy to keep you busy for days, if not weeks, on end, getting out of the city to see some attractions further afield is never a bad idea, as it means also getting a chance to gawk at some of the spectacular Swiss countryside that lies in all directions!

Below you'll find a selection of some of our favourite cultural attractions that can be visited on day trips from Zurich - although with Switzerland's fast, efficient train network, pretty much every corner of the country can be considered a day trip.
And speaking of trains, since you'll be spending a bit of time on them, you'd might as well find some productive ways to keep busy, especially when inside a tunnel. In that vein, why not try your luck at an onlinecasino or perhaps just catch up on some recommended travel literature?

Roman Village Augusta Raurica

Check out the best preserved Roman village north of the Alps! Augusta Raurica, founded in 44 BC, has many original buildings still standing, and archaeologists are always finding more. The highlight is the Roman Theatre, fully restored in 2007. You can also find an amphitheatre, parts of an aqueduct, and more around the modern village of Augst. Just take a stroll and explore! Over 1.5 million artefacts are in the museum - don't miss the massive silver treasure. You’ll also love the rebuilt Roman house and the animal park, where you can get up close with woolly pigs and goats, just like the Romans had. To get there from Zurich, take a train to Rheinfelden and then switch to the one heading to Kaiseraugst. The trip takes about 80 minutes, with trains running at least once an hour.

Glassblowing Factory - Glasi Hergiswil

The Glasi in Hergiswil isn't just a museum; it's primarily a working glass factory where skilled craftsmen create glass items like vases, wine glasses, and Christmas tree decorations. You can watch the glassblowers in action (they even work on Saturdays) and try blowing your own glass ball with some guidance. Different exhibits and a museum highlight the factory's history and the intriguing physical properties of glass, like singing glass and vintage glass products.

There's also a glass maze that’s a bit tricky to navigate - dimly lit with colored lights, the reflections and transparencies keep you on your toes, which, by the way, are in soft slippers provided along with gloves before you enter. You can purchase a wide variety of hand made glass products at the Glasi. After your visit, relax by the lakeside or enjoy one of the nearby restaurants. To get there, take a train to Luzern (Lucerne) from Zurich main station (leaving at 04 and 35 past the hour) and then switch to the train or ship to Hergiswil. It's just a five-minute walk from the railway station or jetty. The SBB offers discounted rates.

Enea Tree Museum

The world's first and only tree museum is right by Lake Zurich, near Rapperswil-Jona. This 75,000sqm park showcases a selection of trees from the collection of Swiss landscape architect and tree enthusiast Enzo Enea. By designing a series of open spaces, Enea demonstrates how trees can be used as space-defining elements, highlighting their beauty while respecting their essential role.

The tree collection includes only those from the Central European climate zone. With this museum, Enea has truly blended his vision of combining architecture, landscapes, botany, art, and design. You'll find over 50 trees from more than 25 species, some over a century old, and another 100 trees and plants in the surrounding park. Since 2013, contemporary sculptures have been featured in the park, creating a unique mix of artwork and trees. It's a beautiful and pretty special experience!

Bruno Weber Sculpture Park

Architect and artist Bruno Weber (1931 - 2011) had a passion for massive concrete sculptures. Starting in 1962, he dedicated himself to crafting his unique sculpture garden around his home in Dietikon, just outside Zurich. The park is filled with his reflective sculptures—mythical creatures and animal-like figures, many of them colorful and even inhabitable. Highlights include a water garden with a winged dog over 100 meters long and Weber’s fairy tale castle-like home, making it a memorable visit. To get to Dietikon, take the S3 or S9 train (about 14 minutes). From there, follow the sculpture path with signs, or just follow the sculptures (around 30 minutes). Alternatively, take Bus 306 to the terminus (Stadthalle), and follow the sculptures for a few minutes from there.

Ballenberg - Swiss Open-Air museum

In this open-air museum near Brienz in the Bernese Alps, you can dive into the world of ancient rural Swiss architecture, old gardens, and crafts from days gone by. Dozens of centuries-old buildings from across Switzerland were gathered and rebuilt here for you to explore. Most of them are open for you to wander through. But Ballenberg isn’t just about buildings; there are also about 250 farm animals like hens, ducks, geese, rabbits, goats, and cattle. Plus, you can catch demonstrations of rural crafts like bread baking, wood-carving, hat-making, cheese-making, spinning, weaving, and more.

Check their website to see what's happening during your visit. A trip to Ballenberg feels a bit like stepping back in time. It’s an awesome experience, and kids love it too. There are picnic spots where you can grill a sausage if you want to add some action, or just kick back at one of the restaurants. Getting there from Zurich by train and bus takes about 2.5 hours.

Fondation Beyeler

The Fondation Beyeler near Basel is definitely worth checking out, even if you’re not a die-hard fan of classic modernism. This art museum showcases the collection of the late art dealers Ernst Beyeler and Hilda Kunz. You’ll find around 200 works by artists like Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, and more on display. They also host temporary exhibitions that usually attract a lot of buzz and crowds. Built in 1997 by Renzo Piano, the museum sits in the Berowerpark in Basel’s suburb Riehen. To get there, just take a train to Basel, and from there hop on a tram to the Riehen, Fondation Beyeler stop (change at Basel Gewerbeschule).

Swiss Museum of Transport

The Swiss Museum of Transport (Verkehrshaus) is Switzerland's top museum, and it's all about the evolution of transport and mobility by road, rail, water, air, and even outer space, showing how these impact our daily lives. You'll find over 3,000 items like planes, steam engines, and cars spread across more than 20,000 sqm. At the Swissarena, you can stroll on an aerial photo of Switzerland scaled at 1:20,000 or try being a TV presenter for a few minutes in Media World and take home a recording of your stint.

This museum isn't just about looking at things; it's super interactive. Every section has something special for the kids, making it a great family outing, even if it's raining! Getting there from Zurich is easy: just take a train to Luzern (55 minutes) and hop on bus No. 6, 8, or 24 towards Verkehrshaus (10 minutes).

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