Schipfe district

The Schipfe district, in Zurich

The Schipfe is the oldest district of Zurich, nestled on the left bank of the Limmat, that is said to have been part of the port of the Roman city of Turicum. The Zurich audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this district with romantic alleys and a bohemian atmosphere, former stronghold of the shipyards and the silk factories, today renowned for its craftsmen and its timeless charm.

The oldest district of the city

Here you are now on the left bank of the river Limmat, in the heart of the Schipfe, the oldest district of Zurich. Historians even think that this area was part of the port of the Roman city of Turicum. Look around you and try to imagine yourself in the Middle Ages: the boats moor along the quay and the merchants unload silk, food and gold. The term Schipfe comes from the word schupfe, that means to push the boats out of the water, testimony of the fluvial and commercial vocation of the place. From the sixteenth century, with the rise of industry, the shipyards and the silk factories settled in the district, that became a high place of Zurich textile craftwork. Nowadays, the Schipfe is renowned for its craftsmen, its romantic stepped alleys and its bohemian atmosphere, away from the animation of the centre. It is the ideal place to stroll aimlessly, to unearth a handmade souvenir in the tradition and the know-how of the region, or to sit in a café by the water. Its old houses pressed against each other, its vaulted passages and its craftsmen's stalls make it one of the most authentic and photogenic corners of the city. An old district and a bohemian haven, the Schipfe is a fine stop of the discovery of Zurich.

What to see

Here you discover the oldest district of Zurich, on the left bank of the Limmat, that is said to have been part of the port of the Roman city of Turicum; former stronghold of the shipyards and the silk factories, it charms today by its romantic stepped alleys, its old houses, its craftsmen's stalls and its bohemian atmosphere. The Schipfe is an authentic district of Zurich. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Schipfe district lies on the left bank of the Limmat, at the foot of the Lindenhof hill, in the old town of Zurich, reachable on foot. It is a district freely accessible, with cobbled and stepped alleys, animated by craftsmen's workshops and cafés. You discover it during a stroll in the old town.

Where does the name of the Schipfe district in Zurich come from?

From the word schupfe, that means to push the boats out of the water, in reference to its fluvial and port vocation; the oldest district of Zurich, that is said to have been part of the port of the Roman city of Turicum, it hosted from the sixteenth century the shipyards and the silk factories, and charms today by its romantic alleys and its bohemian atmosphere.

Where is the Schipfe district in Zurich?

On the left bank of the Limmat, at the foot of the Lindenhof hill, in the old town of Zurich, in Switzerland.