The Lindenhof in the Altstadt of Zurich
The first settlements of Zurich were situated in the Lindenhof. Early settlements by local Helveti tribes led to a Roman fort and outpost being constructed. The revival of the fort by Louis the German of the Holy Roman Empire after the fall of Rome was key in Zurich becoming the city it is today.
Today the Lindenhof is a quiet spot right in the heart of the city where people meet to play chess, families and tourists come to admire the views and children play on the swings. You can get glorious view of the Altstadt and the Niederdorf, of the Grossmünster Church, the Wasserkirche, the Rathaus, the Limmat river, the University of Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
The Lindenhof was the scene of many historical events. Back in the 4th century a Roman fort stood on the site which was at the time a tax collecting point. In the 9th century the grandson of Charlemagne built a regal palace to live in on the same site. In 1747, a Roman tombstone dating back to the 2nd Century was discovered at the site, bearing the Roman name of Turīcum, which was the precursor to the name Zurich. In 1798 the oath sealing the Helvetic Constitution was taken on the Lindenhof.
The fountain on the Lindenhof commemorates the defence of the town by the women of Zurich against Albert I of Germany in 1291 when they dressed up as male soldiers.
The Lindenhof takes its name from the Linden trees.
To see a short video see below:
