Active Pursuits

Zurichers are not big on spectator sports -- they like to get out and participate.

Many of the larger hotels have added swimming pools and tennis courts or handball and racquetball facilities. Some also have fitness centers.

Golf -- The premier golf club in Switzerland, Golf & Country Club Zurich, Wied 9, Aiderstrasse, in the suburb of Zumikon (tel. 043/288-10-88), 12km (7 1/2 miles) southeast of the center, was laid out in 1931 and has the most prestigious reputation in the country. An 18-hole, par-72 course, it welcomes nonmembers who phone in advance, but only if they have a handicap of 30 or less, and only if they present a membership at a golf club in another part of the world. Greens fees are 200F per person, and clubs can be rented for 30F per set. To get there from downtown Zurich, take the Forchbahn tram from the Stadelhofen Bahnhof, near the Zurich opera house, then ride for 20 minutes to the tram station in the suburb of Zumikon. From there, it's a 6-minute walk to the golf course.

Hiking -- Zurich has seven Vita-Parcours, or keep-fit trails. Someone at the Zurich Tourist Office, Bahnhofplatz 15 (tel. 044/215-40-00), will map these trails for you.

Jogging -- The nearest woodland jogging route is on the Allmend Fluntern, which is a wide-open public park, crisscrossed with jogging paths, on the northeastern outskirts of Zurich, near the zoo. To get here from the center, take tram no. 6. Joggers are also seen frequently along the quays and elsewhere in the city.

Swimming -- You can go swimming in Lake Zurich, which has an average summer temperature of 68°F (20°C). The finest beach is the Tiefenbrunnen. To get to Tiefenbrunnen (which is also popular with the gay crowd), take tram no. 4 from central Zurich (Bahnhofplatz) to Tiefenbrunnen Bahnhof, a ride of about 15 minutes. The public pool at Sihlstrasse 71 also has a sauna with its indoor swimming facilities.