Wyland–Downtown
Overview
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Distance 29 km
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Ascent 320 m
Intro
The aroma of Maggi soup has long since evaporated in Kempttal, now the motorway affects eyes and noses. Green recreational areas only hint at the urban sprawl, Zurich’s unusually village-like districts have a friendly feel.
Detour / Closure
There are detours or closures along this route, for more information see https://schweizmobil.ch/en/cycling-in-switzerland/route-45/stage-2
Description
“Winti” is popular and always good for a surprise. The “Kesselhaus”, the former energy centre, now houses cinemas and a dance venue. The porter’s lodge of the disused Sulzer factory has been converted into a trendy café. It is worth stopping at the restaurant with its large windows. Through the illustrious industrial district, you continue across the Töss to the Kempt. This is one of the largest tributaries of the Töss and leads into the Kemptthal valley. This was formerly the valley of the ready-made soups. It is where Julius Maggi once brandished his wooden spoons, and nowadays it is known as “The Valley”. The redesign of the extensive factory site with its historic brick buildings created plenty of space for new companies to flourish.
A pretty and quiet section follows after Vogelsang. With a great deal of bird song, as the name in German would suggest, this stage leads through the Wangnerwald forest to Wangen near Dübendorf. Geographically, this is the centre of the canton of Zurich. However, the statue at the village fountain, with a sickle and a worker guarding grain, is more reminiscent of the hard-working peasantry. Attractive timber-framed houses surround the village square. Guests enjoy the sunny day on the terrace of the restaurant next door. Combat aviation fans can pay a visit to the Air Force Centre and the Aviation Museum in the neighbouring town of Dübendorf (note opening times).
The shopping centres are also open in Dübendorf and Wallisellen. They are surrounded by huge apartment blocks. The Glatt is indifferent to the Glattzentrum shopping centre, as it flows calmly from the Greifensee lake through Dübendorf to Rheinfelden, and into the Rhine. The stage near Stettbach is quiet, wooded and pleasant as it runs through the Gfellergut to the Ziegelhütten. You can observe wild cattle with shaggy hide and huge horns. At the top left, at an altitude of 676 metres, the Zürichberg and Zurich Zoo tower over the city, with its impression of well-stocked bank vaults.
The section past the Irchel university campus is also superb, and both relaxing and bike-friendly. You often still have to master a number of construction sites in order to find the way to the main train station in the wild “profusion of road traffic signs”. After the Drahtschmidlisteig, you cross the Limmat. The Mattensteg opposite lead over the Sihl, which accompanies us to the railway station.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Winterthur
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Zürich
|
| Ascent |
320 m
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| Descent |
360 m
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| Distance |
29 km
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| Distance on tarred ways |
25 km
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| Distance on natural surface |
4 km
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| Physical requirements |
Easy
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| More information | https://schweizmobil.ch/en/cycling-in-switzerland/... |
Quick Facts
Route number
