Altstetten

A Neighbourhood on the Rise

Altstetten is Zurich’s largest neighbourhood – and nowhere in the city is more being built. Over 3,400 new apartments have been completed here since 2010, more than in any other part of Zurich. Striking residential towers such as Westlink and Vulcano are rising around the station, the former SBB railway workshops are being transformed into Werkstadt Zürich – a home for trade, start-ups and craft businesses – and the Koch-Quartier with its new park is adding a whole new piece of city. Moving to Altstetten today means moving to the neighbourhood where Zurich’s future is being built – at rents that are still well below those of the city centre.

At the Foot of the Uetliberg

As urban as Altstetten is around the station, it is just as green on the hillside: the neighbourhood lies directly at the foot of the Uetliberg, Zurich’s local mountain with panoramic views of the city, the lake and the Alps – hiking and biking in summer, a sledge run in winter. Towards the Limmat you’ll find the Werdinsel island with its river lido and the Grünau recreation area. In the middle of the neighbourhood, Bachwiesen park invites you to linger with playgrounds, barbecue spots and a small petting zoo – a favourite among families.

The Uetliberg – Zurich’s local mountain starts practically at your doorstep.

Lindenplatz: the Village in the City

Altstetten was an independent municipality until 1934, and you can still feel it today. Its centre is Lindenplatz with the old village fountain: every Wednesday and Saturday morning the weekly market takes place here – vegetables, cheese, bread and Mediterranean specialities, small and personal. Right next to it stands the Old Church dating from 1303, beneath which excavations even uncovered the remains of a Roman villa. For bigger shopping trips, Letzipark with over 50 shops and the largest Manor department store in the Zurich region is close at hand.

Lindenplatz – the old village core and today’s neighbourhood centre.

Sport and Events on the Doorstep

Hardly any other neighbourhood offers as much sport as Altstetten. The Buchlern sports centre has eleven football pitches, three free-to-use beach volleyball courts, tennis courts and a bouldering area. Letzigrund stadium is home to FC Zürich and GC, hosts Weltklasse Zürich – one of the world’s most important athletics meetings – every summer, and holds over 50,000 fans at open-air concerts. Since 2022 the Swiss Life Arena has joined the line-up – home of the ZSC Lions and a venue of the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championship. And in summer, the listed Letzigraben lido beckons: it was built by none other than the writer Max Frisch.

Letzigrund – football, athletics and concerts in the middle of the neighbourhood.

The Swiss Life Arena, home of the ZSC Lions since 2022.

Everywhere in Minutes

Altstetten station is one of the city’s most important rail hubs: six S-Bahn lines and InterRegio trains stop here, the main station is one stop away, and the airport can be reached directly in around 20 minutes. Tram 2 connects Lindenplatz with the city centre, tram 4 runs from the north side of the station through Zurich West. By car you’re on the A1 or A3 motorway within minutes. By the way: Altstetten lies on the route of the Spanisch-Brötli-Bahn of 1847 – Switzerland’s first railway.

Living in Altstetten

More spacious apartments, fair prices and a neighbourhood that evolves month by month – that makes Altstetten just as attractive for families as for professionals who enjoy short distances between the station and the office clusters. Our shared house on Algierstrasse is right in the middle of the neighbourhood; we also offer furnished apartments and temporary housing across Zurich.

Perfect for: Anyone who wants more space, needs to be in the city quickly – and is looking for a neighbourhood with a future.

Character

• Atmosphere: On the rise, mixed, family-friendly
• Restaurants: Local taverns, bakeries and new cafés
• Shopping: Letzipark, weekly market, local shops
• Nightlife: Quiet – events at Letzigrund and the arena
• Quietness: Calm residential streets, almost rural on the hillside

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Image credits: Altstetten station with the Westlink tower – Bobo11, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Uetliberg panorama – Heni2000, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lindenplatz – Paebi, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Letzigrund – Seasider53, CC BY 4.0 · Swiss Life Arena (cropped) – Albinfo, CC BY 4.0, all via Wikimedia Commons.