Kreis 3

Wiedikon – the Real Zurich

Wiedikon is one of the most authentic districts in the city. Families live next to young professionals, small shops sit alongside modern developments, and traditional local taverns hold their own beside new cafés. Kreis 3 has kept its character – lively, mixed and never touristy. At the same time, you are at the main station or in the city centre within minutes. If you’re looking for the “real” Zurich without giving up short distances, this is the place.

The Idaplatz: the Neighbourhood’s Living Room

The heart of Wiedikon beats on the Idaplatz in the Sihlfeld. Around the small square with its fountain stand colourful Belle Époque houses, along with cafés, taverns and gelaterias with tables under the trees. On mild evenings and at weekends, the Idaplatz becomes a meeting point for half the neighbourhood – Zurich neighbourhood life at its best. The handsome Art Nouveau and Gründerzeit lanes all around turn a walk through the Sihlfeld into a little architecture tour.

The Idaplatz with its fountain – the meeting point and living room of Wiedikon.

From the Station to the Üetliberg

As central as Wiedikon is, you’re just as quickly out in the green. From Wiedikon station, several S-Bahn lines reach the main station in around five minutes. This is also where the SZU railway climbs up to the Üetliberg, Zurich’s house mountain with panoramic views over the city, lake and Alps – for hiking, biking and tobogganing in winter. For shopping and the cinema, head to Sihlcity, the former industrial site on the Sihl, today a centre with more than 80 shops, restaurants and a multiplex cinema.

Wiedikon station – the main station is around five minutes away.

Sihlfeld, Binz and Friesenberg

Kreis 3 is more than a single neighbourhood. In the Binz area, old industry has become a creative slice of the city with studios, offices and modern apartments. On the hillside lies the Friesenberg with the cooperative garden city of the Familienheim-Genossenschaft – green, quiet and leafy. And in the middle of the Sihlfeld, the sprawling Sihlfeld cemetery with its old trees offers a surprisingly still, park-like oasis. So close to the city and yet so down to earth – in Zurich, you’ll only find this mix in Wiedikon.

Living in Wiedikon

Beautiful period buildings, quiet side streets, and yet just minutes from the main station: this mix makes Wiedikon attractive for professionals and families alike. In the evening it is noticeably quieter than the Langstrasse in neighbouring Kreis 4 – while by day you have everything on your doorstep. With us you’ll find furnished apartments and temporary housing across Zurich.

Perfect for: Anyone who wants to live centrally but values peace and neighbourhood life in the evening.

Character

• Atmosphere: Authentic, mixed, family-friendly
• Restaurants: Local taverns, international cuisine and cafés on the Idaplatz
• Shopping: Sihlcity, weekly market and local shops
• Nightlife: More relaxed than Kreis 4 – cafés and a few bars
• Quietness: Noticeably quieter than the Langstrasse, almost rural on the Friesenberg

---

Image credits: Houses on the Idaplatz – Paebi, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fountain on the Idaplatz – Katja Hottingen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wiedikon station – Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0, all via Wikimedia Commons.