Frauenbadi

The Frauenbadi on Stadthausquai is a delicate Jugendstil wooden bathing facility that has sat directly in the Limmat river since 1888. Its open-air wooden galleries and changing cabins survive largely unchanged from the turn of the century — a rare remnant of an era when mixed-sex river bathing was considered improper and cities built separate retreats for women. During the day access remains exclusively for women, making it one of the last gender-segregated bathing spots in any major European city. Come evening, the small deck bar opens to everyone: with the Limmat flowing past and the illuminated Altstadt as backdrop, it ranks among the most cherished spots in Zürich on a warm summer night.

1888 wooden bathing house in the Limmat — women-only by day, bar and stage by night (Barfussbar).