On the Trail of City-Centre Trees

This city walk follows Zürich’s green traces: from old lime trees and a giant sequoia to ginkgo and plane trees. Along the way are Old Town lanes, churches and tranquil gardens.

From the Zürich, Kantonsschule stop, the walk initially leads gently downhill. A giant sequoia stands on Rämistrasse, while an apple tree and a yew grow in the Rechberg gardens. The route soon reaches the Predigerkirche, one of the four main churches in Zürich’s Old Town, before continuing through the narrow lanes.

At Münsterhof, the Fraumünster and the Zunfthaus zur Waag, completed in 1315, stand directly along the route. Here, «No Tree» draws attention precisely to what is missing from the urban landscape. By contrast, the lime trees on Lindenhof, a European nettle tree on Spitalgasse and the small-leaved lime on Bahnhofstrasse show how differently tree species hold their own among squares, buildings and streets.

The route continues along the Schanzengraben, with its weeping willow, towards the main railway station. Near the end, the trees at Platzspitz take centre stage: a ginkgo and a plane tree, along with the horse chestnut on nearby Neumühlequai. After around two hours, the walk ends at Bahnhofquai, immediately beside Zürich Hauptbahnhof.