If you want to get a stunning view over the old town of Zurich then the ETH Polyterrasse is the place to be.
The Polyterrasse is a huge open space outside the main ETH building, next to Zurich University. ETH students hang out here in summer and there are often events such as parties or ice skating rinks that are held here throughout the year.
The best place for a photo is the left-hand side corner of the Polyterrasse where you can get a wide-angle shot without the railing of the terrasse in the way. You can see quite a bit of Zurich’s old town from here, and the Uetliberg in the distance.
Food trucks and coffee trucks also come here to sell their wares throughout the day, and especially at lunchtime. The now famous coffee shop Miro made its name with their coffee truck here too.
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General Information
The following is some general information about the ETH Polyterrasse:
| Location | Leonhardstrasse 34, 8092 Zürich (Google Maps) |
| Opening Hours | 24 hours a day, 365 days a year |
Getting To The Polyterrasse
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There are two ways to get to the Polyterrase, on foot or by catching the ETH Polybahn. On foot, you can walk up from Zurich Central or Zurich HB quite easily. Just follow Google Maps on foot. It takes about 10 minutes to walk uphill to the Polyterrasse.
ETH Polybahn
The Polyterrasse is easily reached via the ETH Polybahn from Central in Zurich. The Polybahn train is located next door to the Starbucks on the corner of Central.
It’s actually a fun experience to ride a short but steep cable car in the middle of downtown Zurich. This one has been running in Zurich since 1886. It only takes a few minutes, but saves quite a walk up. It climbs 41m up, over a distance of 176m and climbs at a pitch of 23 degrees.
Trains run approximately every 4 minutes. Just be aware of peak times like in the morning until about 9.30 when the students line up to get up to the ETH main building. They prefer not to walk :>
Operating hours:
- Mon-Fri: 06.30–21.00
- Saturday: 07.30–21.00
- Sunday, Holidays: 09.00–21.00
Polybahn Cost: 1.20 CHF per ride
** Ticket holders of ZVV zone 110 ride for free
