About Winterthur

Winterthur is the sixth largest city in Switzerland with 100’000 inhabitants. It is located 28 km (17 miles) north east of Zurich and forms an independent economic, cultural and political centre. It is about 25 km (15.5 miles) east of Zurich’s Kloten airport, to which it is linked by rail on the line between Zurich and St Gallen or Lake Constance.

Winterthur was made famous for its engineering industry – diesel motors, textile machinery, and locomotives. The town is now renowned as a cultural centre, and has the nickname of “City of Museums.” It is particularly rich in art museums, but also has several theatres and is host to several annual events and festivals. The old town of Winterthur with its many street cafes is perfect for strolling and shopping.

Winterthur is also a ‘garden city’ with a large number of parks and gardens. There is even a city tour dedicated to “Villas and Gardens”. In 1989 its urban planning won it the Wakker Prize awarded annually by the Swiss Heritage Society (Schweizer Heimatschutz). In the area surrounding Winterthur, in the forests by the Töss and Rhine rivers there are several medieval castles.

Now that the factories are empty, the old industrial part of Winterthur, the Sulzerareal, near the center of the city, is being transformed into a lively residential and cultural area.

Top museums

· Photo Museum - the only museum for photography in German-speaking Switzerland with over 30’000 originals by world-famous photographers

· Oskar Reinhart Collection “Am Römerholz” - Reinhart’s large private villa houses European paintings from five centuries

· Sulzerareal - Europes’s largest hall for trend sports, also venue for large events, such as musicals etc.

Top Events

· Winterthur Fasnacht (Carnival) (February/March)

· Afro Pfingsten (May)

· Albanifest (June)

· Winterthur Summer Theatre - open-air theatre first introduced in 1865

· International Short Film Festival (November)

· Christmas Market (December)

The Altstadt (Old town)

· Adema – Home and Fashion

· Buro Schoch – Art and Paper

· Manta Bar – Italian Sandwiches

· Markt Halle – Fine Italian Grocery

· The National – Restaurant/Bistro

· Tom Tom – Sushi and Coffee bar

· Straussen – Restaurant

· Vollenweider – Coffe and Dessert

· The Gotthard – 24-hour café/bar

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