Dübendorf: Aviation History, Culture and Trails

Dübendorf offers several different focal points for a stay: aviation history and technology, architectural heritage, as well as trails and landscapes. If you are looking for a hotel in Dübendorf, your planned itinerary can help you choose where to stay: would you like to explore Swiss aviation, visit a historic place of worship or spend time on a route? The following places and activities offer different ways to explore these interests.

Experience aviation history

The first Swiss airfield was built in 1910 in the drained marshland between Dübendorf and Wangen; it opened on 8 October 1910. Dübendorf is regarded as the birthplace of Swiss civil and military aviation. You can explore this history in greater depth at the Flieger Flab Museum: it presents the history of Swiss military aviation and air defence, and displays more than 40 aircraft and helicopters. Video presentations and flight simulators round out the experience. Details of simulator operations may change; before planning a visit, check which offerings will be available at that time.

The Flugweg trail offers another way to explore aviation and innovation. The eight-kilometre route runs around the historic Dübendorf airfield and can be explored on foot or by bike. Nature, aviation and innovation are among the themes you can discover along the way. The Flugweg thus complements the museum perspective with a route, rather than exploring aviation history solely through an exhibition.

Architectural heritage and historic sites

The Lazarite Church of Gfenn was built in the 13th century as a Romanesque place of worship. Its rectangular nave and narrower, square chancel define the described floor plan. The church was largely restored in 1963 and consecrated on 30 April 1967. Its construction period and the later restoration and consecration dates provide a historical context for a visit, without conflating the different stages of its history.

Another historic building is Dübelstein Castle. It was built around the middle of the 13th century on an artificially levelled rocky outcrop in the Schlossbachtobel gorge. Those interested in different forms of cultural heritage will find both a Romanesque place of worship with a later restoration history and a castle complex with a medieval building history in Dübendorf. The Obere Mühle in Dübendorf offers a different focus: it is a cultural and community centre.

Landscapes and trails

The Dübelstein landscape is described as peaceful and largely untouched by buildings and major infrastructure; in some places, it offers magnificent views across the Glatt Valley. There is also an educational trail in the Schlosstobel gorge. Unlike the Flugweg, whose themes are nature, aviation and innovation, an educational trail focuses specifically on learning along the way. Depending on your interests, you can therefore choose either a thematically diverse route or an educational trail, without treating them as one and the same route.

Leisure activities and practical differences

The Adventure Arena Dübendorf offers reality gaming in 20 rooms with a range of challenges. Teams of two to five people can complete the tasks together. Regional transport information lists two ways to get there: take the bus to the “Dübendorf, Sonnental” stop, or take the S-Bahn to “Stettbach” and then walk for ten minutes. The S-Bahn option therefore includes a walk; the stated bus connection ends at the Sonnental stop.

The Im Chreis complex brings together additional leisure and sports facilities. The ice sports centre includes an indoor rink with a roof and grandstand, an open-air ice field covering more than 1,800 square metres, and a curling hall with four rinks. There is also an 18-hole mini-golf course with a children’s playground, which is open only during the summer months.

The Wachtelmichel open farm offers another kind of outing: it has a playground, a fire pit and animals. The farm shop is self-service and open at all times. It sells seasonal farm-grown products, including berries, green asparagus, jams and barbecue sausages. If you plan to buy local produce, it is worth noting the difference between the shop’s year-round opening and its seasonal selection.

These differences can help you choose a hotel in Dübendorf: the city offers everything from aviation history and architectural heritage to trails, sports and seasonal farm produce. First decide which focus matters most for your stay; you can then add the activities that suit you to your travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Fällanden, Uster, Maur, Schwerzenbach, Greifensee, Volketswil, Egg, Mönchaltorf.

Back to the higher-level travel overview: Uster.