
Sechseläutenplatz
Vast stone plaza where centuries-old guild parades converge and a firework-stuffed snowman goes up in flames each spring.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Sechselautenplatz in Zurich follows Francois Guex, an art historian from the Tailors guild who has spent about twenty years commentating on the Sechselauten festival for Swiss television without ever marching in it himself. It traces the square's 2014 rebuild in Vals quartzite, the medieval guild brotherhoods that still parade and burn the firecracker-stuffed Boogg each spring, and the long-standing rule that shut women out of full membership. Stand where Guex has stood for two decades, describing a procession he was never part of.
This audio guide was created using AI.
Similar places
Zunfthaus zur Waag
Guildhall restaurant on a medieval square, its blue facade concealing a seventeenth-century rebuild
Zunfthaus zur Meisen
Rococo guild palace of gilt stucco and painted ceilings, once home to a porcelain and faience museum.
Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten
Arcaded medieval guild hall on the river, its stone porticos the stage for an Easter coin-and-egg game.
Lindenhof
Hilltop plaza with a bronze fountain statue of an armored woman, shaded by centuries-old lindens.
Niederdorf
Medieval old-town quarter of narrow lanes, guild houses, and taverns beside a legendary martyrs' pilgrimage route.
Augustinergasse
Medieval lane of colorfully painted houses with carved oriel windows, once home to craftsmen and merchants.