My first question when I moved to Zürich was about my dog.

“Where can he really run safely in this city?”

No matter if you are a tourist or if you just moved here, you’ll quickly understand there’s no dogs fenced area here!

None of the one you maybe have in your country (Italy has sooo many!!)

I spent hours on internet searching for a place to go. And luckily, talking by chance to a kind local lady, I found THE place for Mapou, my faithful dog.

Allmend-Brunau

It isn’t a tourist destination, but rather a nice outdoor escape for you and your dog, for sure.

Even though this area is so close to the city (5 minutes by train from HB) it is peaceful and pretty.

I usually reach the area by car and stop in a parking closed to the Saalsporthalle, but you can also come by train, bus or tram..it’s such a well connected area!

There are many amenities and services in and close by the park, including picnic areas with fire pits, water fountains, public WC, cafes, big grassy fields for running and kite flying. And there are also the Freestyle Park, the BMX Bike Park, and soccer fields.

But the most important thing is that it’s full of people walking and running with their dogs!

There are a lot of walking paths in this area, but mine usually starts with the big grassy field from Saalsporthalle going to the river. I can’t really say how much it takes to tour the whole area, because it’s really huge.

And it’s mainly about how much your dog stops to play with other four-legged friends.

Well, mine stops pretty much with everyone and so I still haven’t managed to finish the whole park at once!

On hot days, you’ll often see people and dogs splashing around in the river.
The water is usually very low and not dangerous. But after a storm, the water level can rise quickly and get dangerous. So, be careful!!

Some tips on walking around Zürich with your dog

In Zürich you can walk your dog off lead in most areas unless one owns one of the four breeds/types restricted under BSL. (Staffies, EBTs, Amstaffs and Pitbulls, and crosses thereof, must also be kept on lead and muzzled in public).

There are some areas where dogs are not allowed, especially school grounds, cemeteries, swimming beaches.

During Spring (when wild animals are giving birth) and Fall (hunting season) dogs must be kept on lead or under close control in the woods.

The dog lives for the day, the hour, even the moment.    – cit. Robert Falcon Scott  (& me)