Zug

Zug is a town of 31,345 people (2021) in the Zurich region of Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zug. This article also covers the neighbouring town of Cham (population 17,042 in 2020).

Get in

By train

Zug

There are trains every half an hour from Zurich, Brunnen or Lucerne. It is also easily reachable from the Canton of Ticino.

Cham

The town of 1 Cham is a 7-minute train ride from Zug.

Get around

The town is small enough to be discovered on foot.

See

Zug

• 1 Old Town. Very picturesque with old buildings and several squares. (updated Aug 2017)
• 2 Clocktower (Zyytturm). This tower was built as part of the city walls. Its unique features are the blue roof as well as the astronomical clock. To visit, you get the key for a deposit (Tu-Sa) from nearby Wunderbox at Fischmarkt 10 or (outside the opening hours) from Restaurant Intermezzo at Grabenstrasse 6. On Mondays, the key is available from the library at St.-Oswalds-Gasse 21 Free. (updated May 2017)
• 3 Zugerberg. The town's landmark mountain, where you have a great view over the lake and the town. The Zugerberg Funicular can bring you up there conveniently. (updated Aug 2017)
• 4 Museum in Zug castle (Museum Burg Zug), Kirchenstrasse 11, ☏ +41 41 728 29 70, info@burgzug.ch. Tu–Sa 14:00–17:00, Su 10:00–17:00, M closed. Zug town and cantonal museum's permanent collection along with other exhibits. Fr. 10, reduced Fr. 6. (updated Aug 2017)
• 5 Kunsthaus Zug, ☏ +41 41 725 33 44, info@kunsthauszug.ch. Art museum. (updated Aug 2017)

Cham

• 6 Villette Park (right between train station and lake). Town park of Cham. (updated Aug 2017)
• 7 St. Andreas Castle (Schloss St. Andreas). The site of the neighbouring chapel has been used for religious ceremonies since the Roman era. While the castle is privately owned, the grounds are opened to the public twice a year. (updated Aug 2017)
• 8 Brickworks museum (Ziegelei museum), Ziegelhütte, Hagendorn (take bus 43 to Hagendorn, Ziegelei-Museum). Summer W-Su 14:00-17:00. A museum in an old brickworks. There are special tours on offer during which you can make your own bricks. Fr. 7/3. (updated Jan 2017)

Do

• 1 Open Air Cinema. During July and August there are movies shown outdoors near the lake shore. Fr. 16. (updated Apr 2017)
• 2 Zug Promenade. Near the old town, you can walk along the Lake of Zug. Zug has one of the most beautiful sunsets in Switzerland, because the sun sets over the lake of Zug. (updated Aug 2017)

Buy

Zuger Kirschtorte

In Zug the best things you can buy is food respectively pastry:

• The famous Zuger Kirschtorte (a cake filled with kirsch). Places to buy: Konditorei Meier, Konditorei Treichler/Heini
• Speckli (pastry with almond-taste). Places to buy: Konfiserie Speck (speck.ch).
• Bsetzi Stei (small chocolates with a bit of alcohol flavour). Places to buy: Aeschbacher Chocolatier
• Chriesiblüete (something like a little Kirschtorte coated with chocolate)

Eat

• 1 Restaurant Bären, Baarerstrasse 30 (Next to the train station), ☏ +41 41 711 09 43. This is a very old restaurant. The interior is still the same as decades ago and will take you back in time. The food is tasty and you will get big portion for the price. 
• 2 Restaurant Brandenberg, Allmendstrasse 3 (next to the youth hostel), ☏ +41 41 711 95 96. This is an institution in Zug. Once a restaurant for farmers, this place is extremely popular in the summer, when you can drink a beer outside below the trees. During the "Stierenmärt it's full of farmers, a real authentic Swiss experience. 
• 3 Restaurant Freimann, Letzi 27 (out of town next to a farm, but worth the trip), ☏ +41 41 741 35 10. This restaurant has the rustic charm of a farmer's house out in the green. In the summer it's a pleasure to sit in the beer garden below the trees and drink a beer and eat a "Cordon Bleu". You will get great value for your money. The menu covers the whole range of good Swiss food. The restaurant inside is quite small. On weekends it's recommended to reserve your table, especially if you want to eat inside. 
• 4 Restaurant Gotthärdli, Seestrasse 3 (before you enter the old town near the lake). It is very small, but with old interior. Very charming. Italian food. 

• 5 Restaurant Schiff, Graben 2, ☏ +41 41 711 00 55, info@restaurant-schiff.ch. 
• 6 fivemoods, Dammstrasse 22, ☏ +41 41 724 64 40, fivemoods@sv-group.ch. M-F 11:15-13:30. The canteen for the workers of Siemens. Accessible for everyone. Decent quality food. Only lunch and during weekdays. Mains from Fr. 13. (updated Aug 2017)

Drink

• 1 Chicago Bar, Baarerstrasse 63. Relatively a lot of space. Comfortable couches and very stylish interior. Very long bar. On some Fridays, there are jam sessions which are very cool. 
• Henry's Skylounge, General-Guisan-Strasse 6 (Enter the uptown on the side of the ice rink, take the elevator to the top floor.), ☏ +41 41 709 05 70, toll-free: +41 41 709 05 70, info@skylounge-zug.ch. Tu-Sa 16:30-00:00, closed on Sunday and Monday. It serves cocktails and food on the top floor of the Uptown building close to the marina. It has got an amazing view of the Alps and the city, especially during sunset. (updated Dec 2023)

Sleep

• 1 Youth Hostel Zug, Allmendstrasse 8, ☏ +41 41 711 53 54, zug@youthhostel.ch. Dorm from Fr. 35. (updated Feb 2017)