Hedingen Swimming Hole

“Of course I have played outdoor games.
I once played dominoes in an open air cafe in Paris.”  –Oscar Wilde

You know what it is like, you found this amazing “new” place, this fabulous trek, you are dying to tell the world, and, at the same time, tempted to keep it all to yourself. A friend took me on a walk one sunny afternoon. I set off thinking “Yeah, right, walking should be fun, why not, yeah!” What a lukewarm celebration of this outdoor adventure. We parked the cars near the hunting house on Aumülistrasse just outside Bonstetten, applied sun cream, crossed the road, the kids got on their bikes and we started though the forest.

For the next hour or so, we only saw the kids from afar as they raced each other on the dusty paths. We walked through a stretch of forest, then along fields, on 30-zone shaded streets, eventually on dirt tracks that seemed to lead nowhere at all. All of it would have been manageable with a buggy so, if your child is not ready for the Tour de France yet, don’t let that stop you.

It took about one and a half hours to reach our destination called Badeanlage Hedingerweiher. It turned out to be a great idea to have brought the bikes for the kids, or we would have had to listen to a lot of moaning. Instead they went up and down the paths, around the fields, and had a blast, pedaling like their lives depended on it.

The last part of the walk was on a small country road, also very manageable with the children on their bikes. Finally we reached the Weiher. Some garden tables and chairs, the smell of barbecued meat, and french fries. We stopped to take it all in.

The small outdoor “kiosk” (it seemed like a restaurant to me) opened onto a well tended lawn, and then the lake was there. Green water, kept as natural as possible. Two diving boards and a few ladders to get down into the swimmers pond were all we needed to take up the challenge of enjoying the water after our long walk.

Because no stone is left unturned in this peaceful country, there were bathrooms, showers and a changing area to preserve everyone’s privacy; also a board detailing air and water temperatures. On a hot summer day, the water can get quite warm; when we went the air was 28 degrees, the water only 22.

A caretaker came around and collected Sfr.6 per adult, 3 per child and under 3s were let in for free. We chose a patch of lawn where we stretched our towels, and went for a swim. It is important to note that only swimmers are allowed in the Weiher (do not even think of bringing the swim-wings!). Your not-so-agile youngsters have the possibility to retire to the playground, or play ball on the adjacent field. For obvious reasons, your dog must be kept on a leash but only until the kiosk.

I would certainly recommend this outdoor experience to all families who have both small kids and older children. There is something for everyone to enjoy at the Hedingen Weiher.

It is also possible to reach it by car. Drive from Zurich to Hedingen and make a left turn at the first roundabout. Drive up the hill; you will reach the car park first, and then see the Weiher on your right.

Text and photos by Florence Thomas