Winterthur has become one of our favorite spots to visit in Switzerland. It’s an easy trip from Zurich, but it has become our destination. We’ve been several times and we keep going back. For us, the highlight has always been Technorama, a hands-on science center that’s unlike any museum we’ve been to. Dylan absolutely loves it, and it’s the main reason we keep going back.

Over the years, we’ve also found plenty of other things to do in Winterthur. Mainly, Dylan spending hours at Skillzpark mastering his skating or his trampoline flipping. But for us and the dog it is about finding the best hiking trails just outside the city. We even spent Dylan’s 13th birthday here, and he still talks about it. Whether you’re visiting for a day or planning a weekend, Winterthur has more to do than you might expect, especially if you’re traveling with kids or teens.

Technorama is the reason we first visited Winterthur and the reason we kept going back. It isn’t like a regular science museum where you just look at displays. Here, you can actually try everything. There are hundreds of experiments across three floors and Dylan never runs out of things to do.

He loved testing the physics setups, trying the optical illusions and moving between the hands-on exhibits. On one visit, we spent almost two hours in the chemistry lab doing real experiments, which made the day feel completely different from a normal museum visit.

We also tried the escape room on one of our trips and it is still one of Dylan’s favorite memories. The moving floors and puzzles kept us laughing the whole way through and he still talks about it.

Every time we visit, we find something new. Going to Technorama is always at the top of our list when we are in Switzerland and if you are traveling with kids or teens, it is absolutely worth the trip.

SkillzPark was the first place Dylan asks to go whenever we are in Switzerland. He loved it there and would spend hours inside if we let him. The place is huge with ramps, trampolines and different spots to try new tricks.

We would always travel with his scooter and this is where he learned a lot of his tricks. He spent so much time on the ramps working on jumps and landings. The trampolines were another favorite. For his 13th birthday we booked him a one-hour trampoline lesson and he came out grinning, showing off everything he learned.

He was obsessed with the high jump setup too. He talked about trying the bike ramps but ended up sticking with the scooter and trampolines.

SkillzPark also has a small café where you can grab snacks and drinks while the kids play. It’s easy to spend a full afternoon here which is why we always plan a visit when we’re back in Winterthur. Even at almost 18, he still wants to go back.

Winterthur isn’t just about Technorama and SkillzPark. There are also some great hiking trails around the city that we’ve really enjoyed. The paths are well-marked and easy to follow, which makes them perfect for a few hours outside without needing a full day in the mountains.

On one of our trips we spent an afternoon hiking through the hills just outside the city. The trails are close to the center and it doesn’t take long to get to spots with open views over Winterthur and the countryside. It was just what our dog needed.

The hikes we’ve done have all been family-friendly with enough variety to keep things interesting. Some routes stay flat and easy while others have short climbs that give you better views. If you’re visiting in spring or summer, pairing a morning at Technorama with an afternoon hike makes for a perfect day in Winterthur.