Basic HTML Version
80
TRAVELLER
aspirational, out-and-proud gay crowd, and now it’s being
further shaped by a cosmopolitan generation who work
hard, play hard and are expert travellers. The badi bars
borrow a little from Ibiza, a little fromSt Tropez, a little
fromParis and a little, even, fromRio, but these very
different vibes have all coalesced into something that is
quintessentially Swiss.
The past few years have seen two new variants on the
theme appear. Opened last year, Thermalbad (
thermalbad-
zuerich.ch
) is a state-of-the-art, spring-fed public spa in the
stunningly renovatedHürlimann brewery in themanicured
central suburb of Enge. Huge wooden Jacuzzi tanks sit
between ancient stone arches, while an inner sanctumoffers
a series of pools, saunas, showers and steam rooms, and a
rooftop infinity pool commands views across the city. From
this year, it shares premises with the brand new, 60-room
B2 Boutique Hotel, whose cutting-edge interiors make a
pleasing contrast to the imposing 150-year-old building.
Meanwhile, dropping the needle on its third summer,
is City Beach (
city-beach.ch
). Since its move last year to the
roof of an eight-storey car park in ZürichWest, it’s more
outdoor dance party with lidomotif than badi proper,
with a small pool and Jacuzzi, lots of sand and palm trees
that share the skyline with the huge cranes still building
the city’s new hipster zone. I struggled to find a local with
fond words to say about this transplant of a concept that’s
also rolling out in Basel and Bern, but the clientele – lithe,
preened, flirty, iPhone-fixated 20-somethings ¬ seemed
to be having a pretty good time. With a track record of
international DJ sets, the venue this year introduces a
regular gay party and a new Italian restaurant, Sotto Sole, in
partnership with the high-end chain Santa Lucia.
Such is themomentumof Zürich’s badi culture that even
the end of the swimming season can’t close all the action
down. Should you find yourself in Zürich in late September,
take the stairs down fromSelnaustrasse to Bar Rimini. At
its pop-upmountain chalet, the Fondue-stübli, next to the
empty turquoise pool, you can be warmed through, if not
by blazing July sunshine, then by the next best thing ¬ hot,
boozy, cheese.
Right,
each
lido has
its own
personality:
at Barfussbar,
everything
happens
without
shoes
ZÜRICH