Top Parks and Gardens in Zurich

Officially the largest park in Zurich, Rieterpark plays host to the Rietberg Museum, which is home to an impressive art collection. The public space is best known for its landscaped gardens, pond, and forested pathways.

Perched on the edge of Lake Zurich, the Chinese Garden was given to Zurich by its Chinese sister city of Kunming in 1993. Today, the temple garden—noteworthy for its traditional Chinese architecture and island pavilion—is particularly lovely in the spring when plum blossoms appear.

Discover local flowers and plants from across the globe at Zurich’s Botanical Garden. Maintained by the University of Zurich, the garden’s flower beds are vibrant in the spring while its greenhouses contain hot-weather species that thrive throughout the year.

Not to be confused with Zurich’s other botanical garden, the city’s Old Botanical Garden dates back to 1837. Today, the park comprises an arboretum area, the Gessner Garden (which is devoted to medicinal plant species), and a 19th-century palm house.

Another waterside park that’s part of Zurich’s Quaianlagen (Waterfront), the Arboretum Zürich has been a popular place to socialize, sunbathe, and unwind for centuries. Home to an array of mature trees, a lido, and a sauna, it has everything you need to relax between sightseeing stops.

Unlikely to be confused with any other city parks, MFO-Park is a feat of contemporary architecture. Housed in a former industrial space, the park features a steel structure and soaring climbing plants, which cascade down trellises. If you want a sci-fi look at the future of public gardens, head here.