After the Zürich Marathon: Kilchberg

The Route: Zürich → Kilchberg → Zürich Logistics: S-Bahn S8 or S24 from Zürich HB, bus 165 from Bürkliplatz, or a lake boat. A short walk at the Kilchberg end, then straight back. Marathon Month: April Duration: Day trip

Zürich HB ──(S8 / S24, about 15 mins)──> Kilchberg ZH ──(10 min walk)──> Lindt Home of Chocolate
    ▲                                                                              │
    └──────────────(bus 165 to Bürkliplatz, or S-Bahn back)◄──────────────────────┘

The Zürich Marathon finishes at Sechseläutenplatz on a Sunday in April, and the Monday that follows is the day the National Museum and the Kunsthaus both close. The Lindt Home of Chocolate, on the lake shore at Kilchberg, opens every day from 10:00 to 19:00, with the last timed slot at 17:30. It is the easiest way to spend a Monday with legs that dislike stairs.

April in Kilchberg: Zürich's April runs from a mean low of about 5°C to a mean high of about 15°C, with rain on roughly one day in three. The museum is indoors and mostly level, so a wet Monday costs nothing. If it is dry, the lake path is worth the extra twenty minutes.

Getting there

Three routes work, and none needs a car. The S8 or S24 from Zürich HB runs to Kilchberg ZH station, from where the museum is about a ten-minute walk, mostly downhill on the way there and uphill on the way back. Bus 165 leaves from Bürkliplatz, a short walk from the marathon finish, and drops closer to the door. A lake boat (line 3731) is the slow, flat, seated option and suits a Monday better than either. Kilchberg lies outside the city zone, so buy a ticket covering zones 110 and 150 in the ZVV app or at a machine. A city-only ticket will not do.

The museum and the village

The Home of Chocolate charges adult entry of CHF 17 (about £15). Entry is by timed slot, so book online and check what is left before the trip. Small lockers are free, which solves the problem of a jacket and a bag, and the building is wheelchair accessible. Allow two hours, because the exhibition is a walk-through rather than a quick look.

Kilchberg itself is a hillside lakeside village of villas and orchards. Thomas Mann spent his last years here and is buried in the village cemetery, a quiet spot for anyone who wants a slower hour after the museum. The climb from the lake up to the station is the one stretch that needs thought: take the bus back if the legs say so.

Getting back

Buses and S-Bahn trains return to the city through the evening, but confirm the last departure at zvv.ch before settling into a long lunch. Boats run to a seasonal timetable, so check that too if the return by water is the plan.