Fun, Funky, Frugal: The Best Things To Do In Zürich West

The best things to do in Zürich West: All the fun, funky, and frugal things to do in Zürich's trendiest neighbourhood.

This post contains affiliate ads and links, which means we may get paid a small commission if you make a purchase. Note that my time in Zurich was in conjunction with a press trip.

Checking out this awesome Badminton hall is one of the coolest things to do in Zurich.

The Yonex Badminton Halle in Zürich West is home to cheap beer, fierce gameplay, and a FABULOUS Dolly Parton cardboard cutout mascot. In many ways, it’s a most unusual site to stumble across in the heart of Europe’s financial capital. But it’s also emblematic of Zürich West’s remarkable transformation from what was once primarily an industrial site to the fun, funky neighbourhood it is today. I’ve had the chance to explore the neighbourhood with a private guide who lives there and I can attest to what an amazing travel destination it is. 

Home to makers and creators, Zürich West is a colourful mix of the city’s old and new styles. You can find Swiss cookies and hot chocolate here, but they’re tucked underneath the trusses of a railway bridge, the neglected space freshly converted into a market hall. Cute shops have put underutilized buildings to good use as well, carving out small spaces perfect for budding entrepreneurs. Beer gardens covered in twinkle lights, 3-D street art, and a fabulous performing arts venue round out the offerings - but the music and good cheer radiating out of the Yonex Badminton Halle remains my personal favourite spot! 

Here are some of my favourite Zürich West recommendations.

• Fashionistas will want to head to the headquarters of Freitag. They're best known for their hipster handbags made from recycled seatbelts but they make all kinds of accessories from, well, all kinds of things! Their Zürich West shop, known as Freitag Tower, is made from re-purposed shipping containers.
• The market hall Im Viadukt (in the viaduct) is an indoor food market and is filled with cute little shops. During our pre-Christmas visit, the stores were filled with packaged cookies and other treats perfect for gift giving. We kept things simple by grabbing hot chocolates. 
• Speaking of Im Viadukt... there are SO many tempting cool shops in here. If you love designer-y little home touches, prepare to be mightily tempted. 

• The Frau Gerolds Garten is an open-air restaurant and bar with an unusual sense of decor (which is my polite way of saying that it's a bit industrial and beat up looking). But the food is first class and much of it comes from the restaurant's own garden beds on site. I can only imagine that this area is just hopping with activity on a warm summer's night.
• Schauspielhaus im Schiffbau is the place to go to see and be seen. This theatre venue offers a wide range of productions and is also home to La Salle (an elegant restaurant) and Moods im Schiffbau, a hugely popular bass club.
  
• You can feast at one of the city's finest restaurants, Josef. AFAR magazine describes Josef as follows: "This Josefstrasse mainstay serving delicious, imaginative tapas-sized dishes is more appropriate as a prelude to a big night out than a quiet romantic dinner: the hipstery crowd surrounding the bar usually spills out the door on warm evenings." I'm sold and can't wait to try it on my next visit.
• While I can't say first hand if this is true... they say that the view from Clouds restaurant (on the top of  Zürich's tallest building, The Prime Tower) is so spectacular, you can see all the way to the Alps. Give it a try and report back to me!
• ​You can easily explore Zürich West on foot. Simple Google "Zürich West walking tours" and a whole host of options will pop up, including "free" tours (aka pay-what-you-can at the end) and self-guided routes.

Spending time in Switzerland? These blog posts will help you plan your trip.

Things To Do In Bern
How To Save, Splurge, and Steal in Bern
Where to Stay in Zurich: Our Favourite Old Town Hotels