Arts & Culture · Our pick in Zurich
Sechseläuten
19 April 2027
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Roland zh · CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Sechseläuten
Sechseläuten, “the six o’clock ringing”, dates back to the 16th century, when the guilds decided that from spring the working day would end an hour later. Today around 3,500 guild members in historical dress parade with 350 riders and 30 bands, and at 6 pm, as St Peter’s clock strikes, the pyre under the Böögg, a snowman 3.40 metres tall, is lit on the Sechseläutenplatz: the faster his head explodes, the finer the summer. The 2026 Böögg burned in 12 minutes 48 seconds. Next: 19 April 2027.
Why it's on our list
- 19 April 2027
- The Böögg
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Sechseläuten before you go.
Hotels nearby
The closest hotels in our guide to Sechseläuten, as the crow flies.
- La Réserve Eden au Lac350 m4 min walk
- AMERON Zurich Bellerive au Lac400 m5 min walk
- Baur au Lac500 m7 min walk
- Mandarin Oriental Savoy700 m8 min walk
- Storchen Zürich700 m9 min walk
What’s nearby
Distances from Sechseläuten are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 14 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest stations and tram stops
- OpernhausTram100 m1 min walk
- Bahnhof StadelhofenTram150 m2 min walk
- Zürich StadelhofenRail200 m2 min walk
Key sights
- Opera House100 mWalk 1 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 5 min
- Lake promenade450 mWalk 5 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 6 min
- Kunsthaus Zürich500 mWalk 6 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 6 min
- Grossmünster500 mWalk 7 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 6 min
- Fraumünster600 mWalk 7 minCycle 3 minCar or taxi 6 min
- Bahnhofstrasse900 mWalk 11 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 7 min
- Zurich Airport9.5 kmCycle 41 minCar or taxi 28 min
Main railway stations
- Zürich Stadelhofen200 mWalk 2 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 5 min
- Zürich Enge1.2 kmWalk 15 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 8 min
- Zürich HB1.5 kmWalk 18 minCycle 6 minCar or taxi 9 min
- Zürich Hardbrücke3.1 kmWalk 38 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 12 min
- Zürich Oerlikon5.1 kmCycle 22 minCar or taxi 17 min
- Zürich Flughafen9.5 kmCycle 41 minCar or taxi 28 min