Already in the times of Goethe and Mozart, Zurich was regarded as a cultural center and the gateway to the Alps. When the visibility is good, it is possible to see the snow-covered Glarner Alps on the horizon, 60 km (37 miles) away. Zurich’s transitional climate is characterized by warm winds that mainly blow in from the Atlantic Ocean and cause the climate to be milder than in other places on the same latitude.
Zurich has four distinct seasons – spring from March to May, summer from June to August, fall from September to November and winter from December to February. On sunny summer days, it is so hot that a dip in Zurich’s clean rivers or lake provides welcome refreshment. The maximum daytime temperatures can reach over 35 °C (95 °F), whereby the average summer maximum lies around 22 °C (72 °F). The humidity level is pleasant. In winter, the landscape undergoes a dramatic change – as soon as the thermometer falls below 0 °C, the fountains are adorned with ice crystals and the city is covered with a sprinkling of snow like icing sugar. In the winter months, the temperatures generally fluctuate between -2 and 3.5 °C (28 – 38 °F).
The sun shines in Zurich for around 1'482 hours a year. It rains throughout the year, with an average rainfall of around 90 mm (0.35 inch) per month. When the weather is fine, Zurich is alive with activity, but on rainy days, too, there are countless possibilities for the body, mind and soul to relax, enjoy and experience. Such activities range from the city’s over 50 museums to Alpamare, the largest covered aquatic park in Europe, and from trend gastronomy behind former factory walls to first-class performances and concerts at Zurich’s various cultural establishments.