City center

The historic old town is the heart of Winterthur’s social and cultural life. The mixture of housing, offices, shops and leisure facilities fill the streets with life at all times of day and well into the night. The large, interconnected pedestrian zone invites one to stroll, shop, see and be seen. Regularly held open-air grocery, arts, crafts and flea markets add a flair of their own. Someone choosing to live in one of the charming historic apartments in the city center should not be averse to street musicians, markets and outdoor restaurants. The historic city center is surrounded by ample green spaces with parks and mansions as well as some wonderful old trees. It is not for nothing that Winterthur is also known as “garden city”. In the Sulzerareal area, which is as large as the entire historic center, old industrial sites are being converted into an exciting new urban landscape with its own distinct mix of firms, shops, trendy apartments and venues for cultural events.
Further information: 
Junge Altstadt (öffnet neues Fenster)
Steinberggasse (öffnet neues Fenster)

Wülflingen

Wülflingen (to the northwest of the city, direction of Embrach/Basel) is home to a couple of renowned gourmet restaurants. The Lindenplatz serves as the district center around which shops, the old village church and restaurants are grouped. This is the backdrop of the popular annual Wülflinger Dorfet festival. You can enjoy a great view from the Brühlbergturm tower or the Chöpfi, a stone formation from the glacier period beside picturesque vineyards.

Töss

Töss (to the southwest of the city, direction of Zurich) is still characterized by the formerly predominant machine industry. Factory buildings and picturesque rows of worker’s houses along the former spinning mill canal and in the Tössfeld area, as well as the multicultural population mix, bear witness of the district’s industrial past. Foreign butchers’ and greengrocers’ shops besides a modern shopping center and numerous cozy restaurants offering international cuisine ensure great culinary variety. The Töss river and its idyllic bank paths and campfire sites form a popular recreation area. With its soothing green expanses, the Kyburg golf course on the Rossberg is ideal for spending peaceful, reflective hours. The residential area of Dättnau is situated on a rise and embedded between the wooded hills of Chromberg and Ebnet. And anyone living in Töss who travels a lot by car will enjoy the strategic advantage of a motorway access in the immediate vicinity.

Mattenbach

Mattenbach (to the south of the city, direction of Tösstal / Zürcher Oberland) is a compact residential area near the city center at the foot of the Eschenberg hill. A large indoor swimming pool, the Deutweg sports center and the converted premises of a former weaving mill form the hallmarks of this urban district. Anyone who enjoys physical activity will find ideal infrastructure at their doorstep. The Deutweg sports complex comprises tennis courts, an indoor ice-skating rink, cricket and frisbee practice facilities and a beach volleyball site. A fitness trail leads through the large Eschenberg forest up to the Eschenberg tower, the Bruderhaus wildlife conservation park and the observatory. The bicycle trail and footpath along the Mattenbach stream connect the city center with the outlying district of Seen and lead on, beyond Winterthur, to the Tösstal.  

Veltheim

Veltheim (to the northwest of the city, direction of Schaffhausen) was formerly a wine-growing village and has retained much of its rural charm. Comprising small shops, a restaurant with an attractive garden café and the old church, the village square constitutes the heart of the district. The surrounding neighborhoods form a family-friendly residential areas that is conveniently close to the city center. The view over the city and across to the Alps from the Wolfensberg hill, high above Veltheim, is simply breath-taking. Wolfensberg outdoor swimming pool is idyllically located on the hill, surrounded by pretty chalets and modern single family homes. The Schützenweiher pond area near Rosenberg has become a meeting point for model boat captains and mini-golf players. Last but not least, the Rosenberg shopping center accommodates shops of all kinds.

Oberwinterthur

Oberwinterthur (to the northeast of the city, direction of Frauenfeld / St. Gallen) is the actual birthplace of Winterthur. The city began as a Roman fort and settlement named Vitodurum, constructed on a hill that now holds the church of Oberwinterthur. The old center of the former village is situated nearby, forming the core of Oberwinterthur with shops, offices and restaurants. The southeastern slope of the Lindberg hill is graced by attractive single family houses. New urban areas with modern housing developments are located on the outskirts, in Hegi among other places. The former Sulzer industrial site in Oberwinterthur has been converted into contemporary housing and business space. In a few years, the district will see the welcome addition of a new public park – the Eulachpark – as a leisure and recreation area measuring 60,000 m2. The Hegmatten gliding airfield, Hegi Castle and the Technorama Science Center are further hallmarks of Oberwinterthur, which is also home to the International School Winterthur. Like the city center and the district of Seen, Oberwinterthur has a direct interurban (S-Bahn) train connection to Zurich.

Seen

Seen (to the southeast of the city, direction of Tösstal) is directly connected to the city center and to Zurich by interurban train (S-Bahn). It is one of the districts with the largest population growth in recent years. New areas continue to be developed around the rural former village center, and the sunny south-facing slope of the Etzberg is now the site of neat single family houses and one of the most coveted locations in Winterthur. Seen’s idyllic center is well preserved, with converted barns and half-timbered houses forming a pleasant contrast to the modern residential buildings. A large shopping center provides locals with all their daily needs, and the surrounding meadows and wooded hills are ideal for walks and hikes. The villages of Iberg, Eidberg and Gozenwil nestle in the landscape above Seen, and Sennhof represents the gateway to the picturesque upper valley of the river Töss, the Tösstal.

Further information on Winterthur in general:
A virtual map showing streets and public buildings can be viewed at Winterthurer Stadtplan (öffnet neues Fenster). For local district associations, where issues concerning the various districts are discussed and friendships formed, see Quartiervereine (öffnet neues Fenster).