The most beautiful routes for a cherry blossom walk through Zurich

Every year the same spectacle. Every year I still forget how much it blows me away. The cherry blossoms in Zurich are so beautiful that for a moment you forget where you were actually heading.

“It’s always darkest before the dawn,” sings Florence Welch in Shake It Out. I had to think of that exact line the other day while walking through Wiedikon when I suddenly found myself standing in front of a tree that looked as if someone had decided: from today on, everything will be different. For weeks everything had been grey. Then suddenly this pink. Cherry blossoms have something almost indecently beautiful about them. They arrive without announcement, hang for a week – sometimes only a few days – above streets, trams and bicycles, and then they are gone again. If you miss them, you wait an entire year. That gives the whole thing a certain urgency. Almost as if you were running late for a first date.

Admittedly, I am not someone who usually photographs flowers. But as soon as the cherry trees begin to bloom – and in Zurich that is already (almost) the case thanks to the mild temperatures – I find myself, like so many influencers, standing in the middle of the pavement and snapping photos completely shamelessly. For everyone who also cannot resist – or wants to try it for the first time this year: here are my favourite blossom routes through the city.

Route 1: The pink tunnel – Wiedikon

The starting point is Wiedikon station. From here it is only a few minutes on foot to the famous Idaplatz – and thus to the heart of Zurich’s cherry blossom season. The nearby and utterly dreamy Bertastrasse is actually my personal favourite. The ornamental cherry trees stand close together along the street and, when fully in bloom, form an almost continuous canopy of blossoms above the pavement. It feels almost like a scene from a Wes Anderson film. Naturally, people stop here and gaze up in delight. It is therefore really worth walking slowly here. Or sitting down for a moment. Or both.

Coffee stops that fit perfectly:

– Café Bebek: lively, a little loud, perfect for a late breakfast with oriental influences
– Vicafe Idaplatz: espresso to go beneath blooming trees. Sometimes that is all you need.

From there the walk continues along the charming Zurlindenstrasse and Zentralstrasse. Here things become quieter. Old buildings, wide pavements, less traffic – and between parked bicycles and façades hang white and pink clusters of blossoms over the street, reminiscent of plush pink clouds. Everyday neighbourhood life mixes with the awakening of spring: children ride scooters, someone carries flowers home, somewhere dishes clatter in a café. I know it sounds terribly kitschy. But sometimes Zurich, despite all its coolness, really is exactly that.

A piece of Japan in the middle of Wiedikon

And speaking of Zurich coolness: here comes a rather trendy insider tip. The popular Harubaru Copy Club celebrates Hanami from 10 to 19 April – a Japanese festival whose name translates as ​“viewing the blossoms”. And because this is particularly enjoyable with friends, family or – why not? – with colleagues from work, the Hanami City pop-up offers lovingly prepared bento boxes filled with seasonal Japanese specialities. These can be ordered individually or as a set with two sweet, floral Sakura Mochi including drinks, to be enjoyed at a Hanami spot.

Route 2: Relaxed spring – Rigiplatz to Schaffhauserplatz

If you still do not have enough steps on your fitness tracker after Wiedikon – or simply want to keep walking – I recommend the second route. It is a little less spectacular than the first one, but calmer and less crowded. The starting point is Rigiplatz in district 6. Already in the small streets around the square the first ornamental cherry trees bloom between Art Nouveau façades. From here the path leads towards Rotbuchstrasse. The trees here do not form a continuous blossom canopy, but they offer a series of small discoveries: here a single tree in front of an old building that looks as if it had been planted there deliberately, there a courtyard full of blossoms, and in between a quiet neighbourhood atmosphere that one sometimes truly misses in Zurich.

It is precisely this calmness that makes the charm of this walk, which ends at Schaffhauserplatz, where several cherry trees also stand. And where you can sit down with a café au lait on a terrace. For example at Café Des Amis, a French neighbourhood restaurant with a large terrace. Just right after a long blossom walk.

The most important things at a glance

• Best time: usually late March to early April – but spring decides for itself
• Duration of the bloom: about one week at its peak, sometimes less
• Route 1: Wiedikon station – Idaplatz – Bertastrasse – Zurlindenstrasse – Zentralstrasse
• Route 2: Rigiplatz – Rotbuchstrasse – Schaffhauserplatz

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