Küsnacht offers a range of reasons to visit: trails through a wooded ravine, historic cultural sites and swimming spots by the lake. When planning your stay, it is worth grouping these destinations according to your interests. A hike can take you to Lake Zurich or to Meilen; museums, a gallery and a church offer different highlights, while the bathing facilities operate seasonally.

Hiking between the ravine and Lake Zurich

The Dorfbach stream flows through Küsnacht Ravine, accompanying the hiking route through the gorge. The route climbs through extensive mixed woodland to the Pfannenstiel. One hike, just under two hours long, runs from Forch to Lake Zurich through the densely wooded ravine. Another starts at Küsnacht ZH railway station and leads through the ravine, over the Pfannenstiel and through Dorfbach Ravine to Meilen. From Küsnacht Ravine, the Lake Zurich Circular Trail leads to Schübelweiher pond; one section of the trail runs from Küsnacht ZH to Bürkliplatz in Zurich. Before setting out, check trail conditions: the weather, season and possible diversions may affect your plans.

A longer trail leads from the railway station through the ravine and uphill to Wulp Castle. The site on Wulp was probably already inhabited during the Bronze Age, around 1500 BC. The hike through the ravine thus links the trail up to Wulp with the site's probable Bronze Age settlement.

Museums, art and local history

The Küsnacht Local History Museum is housed in the former Upper Mill. Its permanent exhibition features a rhinoceros in the ravine, the «Küsnachter» tomato variety and an underwater diving platform. Audio installations bring a «corner shop» and a kitchen from Grandma's time to life; check before visiting whether these displays are currently available. When the Local History Museum is closed, you could take the «Zeitfluss – dem Dorfbach entlang» audio walk by the Küsnacht Cultural Association. Check in advance whether it is available.

The C.G. Jung House Museum is located in the former home of Carl Gustav Jung and his family. Jung's workrooms have been preserved in their original condition. You can reach the museum by taking the S-Bahn to Küsnacht and then walking for 15 minutes; check current connections before travelling.

In historic premises at Seestrasse 123, the Höchhuus Gallery provides exhibition space for artists from the region. It organises four to five exhibitions each year featuring contemporary painting, sculpture and photography; the number may vary slightly. The Reformed Church of Küsnacht also offers a glimpse into local history: a document dated 30 May 1188 mentions it as «Ecclesia de Chussennacho». The late Gothic choir contains frescoes from 1482, and Gian Casty created the choir windows in 1970. The Local History Museum offers another local detail: every year, Hans-Peter Fehr creates a special «Küsnachterli» for its market stall, with a different version each year.

Swimming spots and lakeside nature

Küsnacht lido has a long sandy beach, several spacious sunbathing lawns and a well-equipped playground. Facilities also include a diving platform and several rafts. The lido operates seasonally. Kusenbad is a separate bathing area with a playground, raft and children's pool. The water becomes deep immediately offshore, so Kusenbad is less suitable for non-swimmers. Bear this difference in mind when choosing between the bathing areas, and check conditions on site.

At the Kusenbad kiosk, bistro tables offer a place to enjoy the sunset with a glass of wine. The bistro may operate seasonally. At Hörnli by the lake, a circular patch of sand is part of the natural area: its loose sand provides nesting habitat for ground-nesting wild bees and solitary wasps. This offers a different lakeside experience from a day at the baths and adds a specific wildlife habitat to the hiking and cultural options.

Choose accommodation to suit your plans

If you are looking for hotels in Küsnacht, it helps to plan your days first: will a hike, with its particular starting point and destination, shape your stay, or would you like to set aside time for a museum, gallery and church? For swimming plans, the seasonal operation of the facilities is relevant. This lets you plan your stay around your interests without treating different hiking destinations or bathing areas as a fixed route.

Discover more destinations: Förch, Herrliberg, Zollikon, Männedorf, Obermeilen, Hombrechtikon, Stäfa, Meilen.

Back to the main travel overview: Meilen.