The town of Zug may be more famous for its low taxes than as a must-see stop, but those who visit quickly discover one of Switzerland’s most beautiful lakeside cities. With its historic old town, mountain views, and relaxed pace, there are far more things to do in Zug Switzerland than most visitors expect.
Located between Zurich and Lucerne, Zug is easy to reach by train. It makes an ideal day trip or base for exploring Central Switzerland. I literally met my husband here — at Zug’s 650th birthday celebration — and never left. Twenty-five years later, I still think the sunset over the lake is one of the most beautiful things in Switzerland. Here’s what I’d show you if you visited.
Your Guide
I’m Kristin — Australian-born, Zug local for 25 years, mother of three, and fluent in Swiss German. I met my Swiss husband here while celebrating Zug’s 650th anniversary of joining the Swiss Confederation, and never left. This guide is what I’d tell a friend visiting for the first time.
Quick Guide to Zug, Switzerland
- Location: Central Switzerland, 25 minutes from Zurich by train
- Best for: Lakeside walks, sunsets, swimming, and easy mountain access
- Best Time to Visit: May to September for lake activities, December for Christmas atmosphere
- Ideal visit length: Half fay to two days.
Where to Eat in Zug, Switzerland
- Enjoy breakfast at: Kaffee Frech. They’ve got Avocado on Toast, great Gipfelis and excellent coffee.
- Grab a coffee at: Bob’s Food Store in Zug’s old town (from 11 am) has amazing coffee. I am also a fan of the young team at Kahawa located in the Freiruum.
- For authentic Swiss hospitality: head to Restaurant Freimann, a traditional Swiss restaurant that has been in the Freimann Family for 14 generations. With a playground, this is a great place for kids too.
- For a hipster vibe: dine at the ever-so-cool Kurioz and their 4-6 course ever-changing tasting menus and cool cocktails
- For something more international: Head straight to Freiruum. Here you will find a variety of international cuisines all under the roof of an old industrial building. It has become the meeting place in the city for young and old.
- Dine with the Family at: Worth the drive is Restaurant Alpenhof, just over the border into canton Schwyz. This place has a great family-friendly menu, trampolines and a great playground.
- For when you need something light: Check out the selection of sandwiches and salads at Bachmann Bakery in the Metalli Shopping Mall. Or grab a sweet or savoury crepe at Intermezzo.
- Vegetarians will feel at home at: Henry’s who offer, even at lunchtime, a variety of vegetarian or vegan options along with their meat dishes.
- Try the local speciality: Zug is all about cherries! Cherry Schnapps laced cake – Kirschtorte – cherry cupcakes, cherry-filled chocolates, cherry schnapps, cherry sausages and even cherry beer. If you time your visit in early summer and cherry season, you can try the fresh cherries too.
- A winter speciality: Thanks to its lakeside location, Zug is also a great place to eat fish. If you visit in early winter keep an eye out for Rötel, a local speciality. We enjoy ours at either Restaurant Aesch.
- For Date night: My go to place for an extra special meal is Restaurant Sternen in Walchwil, especially in the summertime with their over the lake terrace.
- For girls’ night out: Start with drinks at the Seeliken Badi. Then take a short stroll along the lake to the restaurant Più for pizzas.
- For drinks: For me, it has got to be Fischerstube when the sun shines. and Platzhirsch Wine Bar in the cooler months.
- Grab something sweet at: You won’t find these in Zurich. Ask at Speck for the Chriesiglocken — cherry jelly-filled chocolate bells. You’ll immediately understand why Zug takes its cherry obsession seriously.
Where to Shop in Zug
- Buy your groceries at: Migros Zugerland is my favourite place to do a big grocery shop, closely behind the Coop at the Seewen Markt with their in-store cheese shop. But Migros Metalli is also very convenient.
- Visit the Farmers Market: During the week, your best bet is the Biohof in Oberwil or Buuregarte Hünenberg. On Saturdays, farm-fresh products are much easier to find with both a market on the Landsgemeindeplatz and behind the Metalli Shopping Mall taking place
- Grab a loaf from: Von Rotz in Baar and Cham who make my favourite Zopf. Otherwise, take a short drive to the town of Arth and visit Chilestagli for a wall of bread to choose from.
- Chocolate lovers shouldn’t miss: Visiting all of the local bakeries who also specialize in chocolate making: Speck, Sprüngli, Strickler all have great high-quality options. Also check out the chocolate shop Clement on the main road. I also love visiting Felchlin factory store in neighbouring Schwyz whose factory shop is a treasure trove of chocolate delights.
- The best Cheese can be found: from the Dubach Cheese Shop with a great selection of local and international cheeses. Their fondue mixes are truly delicious.
- Local specialities can be found at: Gnuss Buur in the old town (especially the flour from a local mill) as well as Hofmärcht in Baar.
- Pick up a souvenir at: Wunderbox Zug in the old town which has a selection of Swiss-themed products.
- Find something for the home at: Variantikum, with its great selection of homewares, especially nice fondue pots and locally blown glass. However, the best fondue pot selection is probably at Coop City department store.
- Buy the kids something at: Franz Karl Weber – for wooden animals or In Good Company Gifts out in Hünenberg for other gift items.
- Hire Skis from: Toni Sport in Rothenthurm in the canton Schwyz. Close to the Hochstückli ski area, the drive is worth the friendly and competent staff.
- A great second-hand shop: The Brocki at the train station. You never know what you will find.
- My favourite clothing store: I always check out Bayard and PKZ before heading online
- Grab a nice bottle at: Etter located a bit out of town. While they are known for their clear brandy (I love the golden apple variety), they also have a curated selection of great wines – both Swiss and international.
Things to do in Zug Switzerland
- Hop on a bike and cycle: along the lake from Zug to Cham. You are mostly off-road here and you will find lovely lakeside places to stop along the way.
- Families love to visit: The Goldau Tierpark where you can get up close and personal with the deer. In the winter, my kids love ice skating at the Bossard Arena.
- Take a dip: in the lake from any of the amazing lakeside “Badi’s”. There are so many in Zug! Our personal favourites are the smaller Badi in Walchwil or the Strandbad in Zug. But we are also quite partial to the Ägeribad in Oberägeri with its both indoor and lake options. If you don’t want to get wet, why not rent a pedalo.
- Pull on your hiking boots and: head up the Rigi. While the Queen of the mountains is not officially in the canton of Zug, its peak can be seen from almost all of the canton. There are so many great paths up there but our favourite is the panorama path starting at Rigi Stafel.
- For something different: take a boat trip around the lake of Zug.
- An easy day trip: depending on our mood you can find us taking a train into Zurich or Luzern for a dose of city, or visiting Hochstuckli when we need a bit of alps.
- If it is raining: you will find us watching a movie at Sihl City. Not only do they have real movie popcorn, they usually have a great selection of English speaking kids movies. Others head to the indoor playground and trampoline park at the Freiruum, but be warned it gets busy. Zug’s library is also an options and is open on a Sunday too!
- A great playground: is on the Zugerberg, apart of a great themed family-friendly hiking path called Zugiblubbi
- Don’t miss a visit to: the Zug Clock Tower (Zyttum). Grab the the key from the souvenir shop below, climbs the stairs and take in the views
- Locals Ski at: Hochstuckli and Stoos or may venture to places like Flumserberg.
- In Winter: rent ice skates and take to the ice in front of the local ice hockey rink.
- For the Best Views: Head up the Zugerberg, either at the Zug or Walchwil end where you can take in the Rigi and Pilatus as well as the lakes
- When guests visit: We take on some kind of day trip. That usually entails the Rigi round trip. Starting with a train from Zug to Luzern, a boat trip from Luzern to Vitznau, the mountain train from Vitznau to Rigi Kulm and down again this time via Arth-Goldau back to Zug.
Local Tip
Did you know you can borrow the key to Zytturm – Zug’s medieval clock tower – directly from the souvenir shop, Wunderbox, below for free? Just swap the key out for your photo ID and take the winding stairs up to a unique view across Zug’s medieval town.
Local Tips for Visiting Zug, Switzerland
- Local festivals not to miss: There are so many things to do in Zug! Bäckermöhli in January, Chrööpfelimee in March, Seenachtsfest and Chriesisturm, both in June. If you have kids who understand German, don’t miss Märlisunntig in early December.
- Don’t get caught out at: in peak hour. The road along the lake can get really busy come 5-6pm.
- It is busier on: Saturdays with everyone out and about.
- The best time of year to visit is: Summer, when it is warm enough to swim and enjoy everything the lake has to offer.
- Best place to watch the sunset: is lakeside near the Landsgemeindeplatz, the terrace of the Hafenrestaurant or from the Oberwil Badi.
How to Get to Zug and Where to Stay
- Best to get around on: by train or bus. Of course a car comes in handy too when wanting to reach the harder to get to mountain spots.
- Traffic Tips: It can get busy into and out of Zug at peak times, so schedule time accordingly.
- Rent bikes/Scooters from: the main station
- A place to rest your head and not break the bank: Hotel Guggital
- A place to rest your head when you want to splurge: Parkhotel Zug
- Closest airport/train station/bus stop: Zug has its own main station and many of the villages in the canton can be accessed via the S1 or S2 lines, if not by bus. Your closest airport is Zurich, a direct train away.
- Best Campground: While not in Zug itself, the lakeside campground in Unterägeri is worth a stop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zug worth visiting?
Absolutely – and it tends to surprise people. Zug is often overlooked in favour of Zürich or Luzern, but it has a beautiful small medieval old town, a stunning lake, and some of the best sunsets in Central Switzerland. It works perfectly as a day trip or a relaxed weekend base.
How do I get to Zug from Zürich?
By train, Zug is just 25 minutes from Zürich HB. Trains run frequently throughout the day, making it one of the easiest day trips from Zürich. From Luzern it’s around 20 minutes.
What is Zug famous for?
Two things – low taxes and cherries. Zug is one of the wealthiest cantons in Switzerland, which is why so many international companies are based here. But locals are prouder of the cherries. The Kirschtorte (cherry schnapps cake) is the regional speciality, and in spring the cherry trees across the canton are spectacular.
Is Zug expensive to visit?
It’s Switzerland, so yes. But there are ways to make it less painful. In the city of Zug all lakeside Badis are free, the old town costs nothing to wander, and you can eat without breaking the bank if you choose wisely. I’d budget similar to Zürich.
In Love with Zug
Zug is one of those places that surprises people. They arrive expecting a quiet Swiss town and leave wondering why nobody told them about it sooner. After 25 years of living here, I still pinch myself I get to call it home. Whether you have a few hours or a whole weekend, I hope this guide helps you find things to do in Zug, Switzerland. If you want more Swiss insider tips delivered straight to your inbox, join the z’Nüni newsletter below.
New hear and unsure what to wear? We’ve got a guide on what to wear in winter and summer in Switzerland.
Planning to explore beyond Zug? Many visitors combine Zug with Lucerne, Mount Rigi or Zürich using Switzerland’s excellent train network.
→ Check Swiss Travel Pass prices and options here
