Johannes Baur, an Austrian, opened Baur au Lac in 1844 on the site of Zurich's old war harbour, placing it to frame the lake and the Alps, and his descendants still run it, now in the seventh generation. Empress Elisabeth of Austria spent a whole summer here and Alfred Nobel stayed; the hotel counts the first thoughts of the Nobel Peace Prize among its stories. It stands in its own park on the lake shore, a short walk from Bahnhofstrasse, the Old Town, the Tonhalle and the Opera House, and its antique-filled rooms have worn the years well. Every room and suite is decorated individually, facing the park, the city or, in the higher categories, the lake and mountains, and a rooftop gym shares the view. Marguita serves Mediterranean food at the water's edge, Le Hall is known locally as Zurich's living room, and the family has traded in fine wine since the year it opened. Each year, just before Art Basel, Art in the Park fills the gardens with contemporary work by artists such as Fernando Botero, Louise Bourgeois and Alexander Calder. Bees in the park make the breakfast honey. There are 119 rooms and suites.
- Nearest airport
- Zurich (ZRH), 6 Miles / 10 Kilometres
- Rooms
- 119 rooms and suites
Insider tip Ask for the Lakeside Corner Suite, which looks over the private park to Lake Zurich and has a minibar restocked daily at no charge.
Why I choose it A Zurich institution since 1844, in its own lakeside park and still owned by the founding family, now in its seventh generation.
