Weinplatz and Hotel Zum Storchen

Why is it significant?

Stand on the cobblestones of the Weinplatz and admire the timeless architectural setting overlooking the Town Hall Bridge. Documented since the High Middle Ages as the Corn Market, this is Zurich's very oldest public market square.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Stand on the cobblestones of the Weinplatz and admire the timeless architectural setting overlooking the Town Hall Bridge. Documented since the High Middle Ages as the Corn Market, this is Zurich's very oldest public market square. Here, merchants, farmers, and vineyard owners bargained loudly over barrels of local wine, Alpine grain sacks, and fresh fish hauled from Lake Zurich.

The square opens directly onto the wide Rathausbrücke, fondly nicknamed the Vegetable Bridge by locals. Since medieval times, farmers from surrounding cantons have gathered on this bridge to sell seasonal vegetables, farm cheeses, and colorful flowers. The broad stone bridge has linked the commercial merchant quarter of the left bank with the government halls on the right bank for centuries.

On the riverside corner stands the distinguished Hotel Zum Storchen, an inn whose hospitality lineage traces back continuously to the year 1357. Its romantic name is said to honor a pair of white storks that nested on its steep roof in the fourteenth century. Illustrious figures from poet Gottfried Keller to composer Richard Wagner stayed here, gazing out their windows at the Limmat's currents. The beautifully preserved facades and historic stonework continue to captivate architecture enthusiasts and everyday wanderers alike. A careful stroll through these evocative lanes reveals how masterfully the city of Zurich has protected its rich urban heritage across centuries.

In the center of the square stands the Weinplatz Fountain, adorned with a bronze sculpture of a vintner boy bearing grapes. Outdoor café patrons sip roasted coffee as the gentle gurgle of spring water mingles with lively conversation. This square captures the welcoming, convivial spirit of Old Town Zurich better than almost anywhere else. Generations of proud local residents have shaped this remarkable landmark, passing its timeless stories down to present-day travelers. Throughout the surrounding neighborhoods, visitors can clearly sense the harmonious blend of historic tradition and cosmopolitan energy.

Turn right into the picturesque Schlüsselgasse and climb the narrow cobblestone lane up to St. Peterhofstatt.