The Zurich Design Weeks are the largest design event in Switzerland. The target audience includes everyone who recognizes the potential of design processes to improve quality of life and values their power to provide decisive answers to the challenges of our time.

Event
Every year, the festival invites a broad audience to exhibitions, installations, and events. Studios and shops open their doors, established brands showcase their products, and designers offer insights into their work. The two-week festival brings together established events and institutions with a diverse program of talks, city tours, and workshops. Through various formats, it encourages active participation and provides a platform for all design disciplines.

Circular Economy
Zurich Design Weeks are committed to the circular economy. Zürich is the first Swiss city to sign the Circular Cities Declaration – a strong signal for the transition towards a sustainable, future-oriented society. Design plays a central role in this transformation: it influences the circularity, lifespan, repairability, and recyclability of products.

Good design also creates emotional attachment – encouraging us to value, care for, and use things longer. Zurich Design Weeks highlight these potentials by showcasing innovative approaches, fostering public discourse, and promoting a forward-thinking understanding of design through targeted programs.

Background
The event was initiated in 2022 by the Design Biennale Zürich and Archithema Verlag, with the support of Stadtentwicklung Zürich. Behind it is the nonprofit association Zurich Design Weeks. The realization of the Zurich Design Weeks is possible thanks to numerous partnerships.

The ZFF Zurich Film Festival provides a platform for the most promising filmmakers from around the globe.

The ZFF is the second-largest festival in the German-speaking world and an ideal networking platform. The hub of the festival is Zurich's Sechseläutenplatz, located in the heart of the city and on the shores of Lake Zurich. This is where the festival cinemas Corso and Le Paris, Picadilly and the festival center are located. The other festival cinemas Arena Cinemas Sihlcity, Frame and the Kongresshaus are just a few minutes away.

Every fall, thousands of film fans as well as media and film professionals visit the ZFF to watch one of around 100 films over eleven days. The Zurich Film Festival aims to give a large audience an insight into the work of young, up-and-coming filmmakers from all over the world and to promote the exchange between established filmmakers, young talents and the public.

Young filmmakers compete for the main prize, the Golden Eye, in two international competitions (feature film and documentary). In the Gala section, legendary directors and Hollywood stars present the most anticipated films of the year, which have a good chance of winning an Oscar. The festival also presents film series on topics on the pulse of the times such as #Hashtag or “Border Lines”.

As the PLATZHIRSCH BOUTIQUE HOTEL, we are delighted to have been a proud festival partner since 2014.

Zürich has a long tradition of bathing culture and still lives it actively today.

In summer, visits to the "Badi" are a fixed part of everyday life for young and old.

What would you like? A sandy beach, a diving tower, an alpine panorama, a sunbathing lawn, under trees, by a lake, a river or in the heart of the city? In Zürich, everyone will find a favorite pool.

Still warm, fragrant bread from the bakery, cheese from the fresh produce market and a water bottle to fill up: That's all it really takes to be happy in Zurich's summer.

In the Footsteps of a Genius: Albert Einstein’s Locker at ETH Zurich
One of Zurich’s most fascinating and smallest "museum pieces" is just a short walk from Hotel Platzhirsch. Housed in the main building of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) is a truly special piece of history: Albert Einstein’s original locker.

A glimpse into the world of a genius: Albert Einstein studied at ETH Zurich from 1896 to 1900 and returned to the university in 1912 as a professor of theoretical physics. Right where the future Nobel Prize winner once stowed his books, notes, and coat, visitors can now immerse themselves in his story.

The locker, located on the F-level of the main building, has been transformed into an interactive mini-exhibition. Opening the door brings the locker to life: lights, sound, historical photographs, documents, and personal anecdotes offer a surprising insight into Einstein’s student days, his intellectual world, and his life in Zurich.

Our Platzhirsch tip for your outing:
Take a short walk from Hotel Platzhirsch to the "Central" square and board the historic Polybahn. This brief funicular ride takes you straight up to the ETH. The locker is located on the F-level of the ETH main building (Rämistrasse 101). Access to the main building and the exhibition is free and open to the public during regular ETH opening hours.

Combine your visit with a stop at the Polyterrasse right in front of the building. From there, you can enjoy one of the best panoramic views of Zurich’s Old Town, Lake Zurich and the Alps.

Fresh and first-class drinking water is always available in Zurich - thanks to more than 1,200 wells that can be found every few meters in the city. This makes Zurich one of the cities with the most fountains in the world. There are exciting stories to tell about each fountain. Here are just three fountains in the city center that every visitor must have seen:

Amazonen-Brunnen on Rennweg: put into operation around 1430. With a figure adorning the fountain, it is one of the first Zurich fountains that was also considered a public work of art.

Alfred Escher fountain at the main station: in operation since 1889. Alfred Escher's figure stands in a triangle that brings together his most important achievements: as a railroad pioneer, he ensured that Zurich, with its main station, became one of Switzerland's most important transport hubs at an early stage. He was also involved in the founding of today's Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) and the Schweizerische Kreditanstalt (today Credit Suisse) on Paradeplatz.

Lindenhof fountain on the Lindenhof: in operation since 1667. Today's fountain was created in 1912 in memory of the brave women of Zurich who, in battle dress, are said to have deterred an Austrian army from a city siege in 1292.

Tip 1:
If you get thirsty while walking through Zurich, you don't need a supermarket. A drinking bottle - for example, the high-quality, reusable and lightweight Sigg drinking bottle that can be purchased at the Tourist Information - is all you need. Screw it on, fill it up and enjoy cool as well as fresh water.

Tip 2:
If you want to learn more about Zurich's endless fountains, book the city tour Wasserstadt Zürich.

Tip 3:
This map shows where the fountains are located in the city.

This flea market is much more than its name suggests: It is a paradise for treasure hunters in search of unique pieces and rarities.

In a picturesque location by Lake Zurich, this flea market – which was founded over 50 years ago – is the largest and most popular of its kind.

With over 230 seasonal pitches, the flea market on Bürkliplatz attracts art enthusiasts and collectors who love browsing through an extensive range of antiques, vintage items, and second-hand treasures. From retro clothing to unique works of art, here you can find objects that tell stories and are oozing with character.

From May to October, the market not only offers the opportunity to make amazing finds, but also to become part of a lively community. For those interested in running a market stall, there is a weekly draw, which gives everyone the chance to offer their treasures to the general public. This ensures that there is always a changing selection of items on offer.

Contributing towards this natural diversity in the heart of the city are countless green oases. The parks leave a distinctive mark on the urban landscape and provide a place for friends, family members or work colleagues to spend many relaxing hours together. Here, Zurich residents meet to picnic, chat, read, stroll and unwind.

Zurich is home to around 70 parks and green areas. These also include stately museum parks and fragrant botanical gardens, all of them open to the public.

A piece of tradition has been preserved in the heart of Zurich’s Old Town: the Aelpli Bar possesses one of the oldest tavern licenses in the city. In fact, it is so old that nobody can remember how long a bar has been located here, in the former cowshed on Ankengasse 5 (Anke is the Swiss German word for butter).

Every day of the year, people from across the generations come together to enjoy traditional Swiss music. Besides numerous live folk music performances, guests are also invited to make music themselves – with the available instruments (wooden spoons, ratchets, Swiss accordion, piano, and much more besides) or with their own instruments that they have brought with them.

Incidentally, people who pay a visit to the Aelpli Bar drink Aelpli Milk. This milk, which is fortified with alcohol, is – so to speak – the “shot” of the house, and should be consumed with caution – for it quickly goes to your head. The wooden tables, chairs and pillars are adorned with notches, marks and carvings, for anyone who would like to immortalize themselves in the timber is welcome to do so. Consequently, each item of furniture has a long and varied story to tell.

“La Boule d’or centenaire” by Dieter Meier, concept artist and frontman of the electropop duo YELLO, is deposited in the ground of the main concourse of Zurich Main Station and protected with reinforced glass so that passers-by can view it from above. The ball - which was installed in 2008 - will stay there for 100 years and aims to draw attention to nothingness and insignificance.

During that time, the ball will be taken out of its glass case on only a handful of occasions and rolled 12 meters (39ft) along a wooden runway known as the “Bois du voyage d’or”. The dates are as follows: 9 May 2008 (already happened), 24 June 2008 (already happened), 18 September 2016 (already happened), 28 August 2033, 12 June 2064, 21 July 2082, 18 January 2097, 9 May 2108.

Dieter Meier became famous with his band YELLO. Together with Boris Blank, he was a pioneer of electronic pop music. What many people do not know is that Meier actually started his career as a performance artist. Nowadays he is renowned and successful as a gastronome, cattle breeder and vintner.

The traditional specialty store H. Schwarzenbach in Zurich's Oberdorf was founded by Heinrich Schwarzenbach I in 1864. The delicatessen on Münstergasse is still run by the Schwarzenbach family, today already in the fifth generation.

The diverse range of products extends from home-roasted premium coffee to selected tea specialties and exquisite spices to exotic dried fruits and exquisite vinegar specialties and the finest oils. This wide range is complemented by fine chocolates, pasta from the leading pasta creators and a variety of honeys, jams or legumes.

In addition to exotic rarities, H. Schwarzenbach also offers countless local delicacies, from Thurgau dried pears to Ticino's Farina Bona, the roasted corn flour from the Onsernone Valley.

“Many highlights from Zurich’s cultural life are lined up along the number 4 tram route like pearls on a string,” says Christian Brändle. And the Director of the Museum für Gestaltung knows what he’s talking about – after all, he regularly uses this tram line to get to his three museum buildings. They all lie along the route: the Toni-Areal In Zürich-West, the history-steeped main building near Zurich Main Station, and the Pavillon Le Corbusier on the shores of Lake Zurich.

It is not just recycling fans who will love the colorful tower near the central Hardbrücke Station, which boasts 17 stacked shipping containers rising 26 meters (85 feet) into the air.

The rusty containers were sourced especially from Hamburg and transported to Zurich by train. Not just nice to look at, the tower is accessible as well. Over four floors, it contains the world’s largest selection of “individual recycled freeway bags” from the renowned Zurich label Freitag – 1'600 bags.

Climb further and you’ll reach the roof of the recycled skyscraper that offers a commanding view of the former industrial quarter. Look out for old factories pulsing with new life, Frau Gerolds Garten – a popular urban garden with dining options – and the arches of the viaduct that now house gorgeous boutiques, restaurants and event spaces.

Since June 2026, FREITAG has also been based in its new flagship store in the heart of Niederdorf – right next to PLATZHIRSCH. A warm welcome to you all!

Two pieces of city history: both FREITAG and Niederdorf are defining features of Zurich’s identity. Both are resilient: the ‘Dörfli’ has weathered devastating fires, the Reformation and strict curfews, whilst the upcycled bags have led a first life on Europe’s transit routes. Both are renowned far beyond the country’s borders and are regular features in shopping guides and on lists of places that are no longer insider tips.

‘Zurich is our birthplace and our home. With our new store on Hirschenplatz, we’re strengthening our roots in the heart of the city. For us, this place is more than just a shop: it’s a commitment to genuine encounters, to local design and, above all, to the people who share our values. The physical experience remains essential to us: you have to hold our products in your hands, feel the tarpaulin and discover your own one-of-a-kind piece. We’re looking forward to bringing a piece of FREITAG DNA to the Niederdorf, which is itself a truly unique part of Zurich,” says Janine Weiz-Bühler, Navigator at FREITAG.

FREITAG Flagshipstore Niederdorf - Press Release