Züri Wiesn – Oktoberfest in Zurich

I thought there would be no more Bier, Bratwurst und Lederhosen for me this year, but I was wrong. Poul and I were in Zurich last weekend, and as we got off the train, we stepped right into the Züri Wiesn Oktoberfest at Zürich HB (central station). What better way to start our Zurich vacation?

You needed tickets to go inside the big beer tent, but the line was so long that we decided to skip the tent and sit down at one of the restaurants outside instead. I had a Züri-Bratwurst and Poul had a Chiliwurst, and in the menu it said that the sausages came with a Bürli. We both wondered what a Bürli could be. “Maybe it’s chocolate?” Poul suggested, voice full of hope. Turned out it was a sourdough bread roll. Poul would have preferred an ordinary hot dog bun (or chocolate), but I think the Bürli tasted great with the Bratwurst.

I know I’ve been talking a lot about lederhosen lately, but I’m really fascinated by this strange piece of clothing. I just can’t take my eyes off the people wearing them, and I think I’ve managed to identify different lederhosen styles. In Zurich, the brown suede ones seem to be most common, typically worn with a checked shirt, and many of the Zurich lederhosen also had embroidery. If there’s such a thing as lederhosen fashion, the Zurich style takes the prize. I spotted a pair at one of the department stores in the city, and they weren’t that expensive, so I tried to convince Poul to buy them, but he refused. Maybe I’ll get him a pair for Christmas anyway..

Züri Wiesn, Zurich HB