Maur on Lake Greifensee

In Maur, Lake Greifensee, a protected lakeshore landscape and historic sites come together. You can focus your plans on different things: the lakeside path, a boat trip or the municipality’s museums and historic buildings. There are also seasonal activities and individual events, so it’s best to check the dates to suit your visit.

Lakeside path and natural landscape

The lakeside path around Lake Greifensee, marked by the Zurich Hiking Trails Association, is 16.5 kilometres long. You can walk it from the Maur landing stage or from the village. Check the trail markers and local conditions before setting out. The shores of Lake Greifensee are largely undeveloped and protected. Habitats that have been preserved include reed beds, fens and wet meadows. Nature and landscape are as much a part of Maur as the historic buildings by the lake.

Boat trips and lido

The paddle steamer «Greif» is the oldest and only coal-fired paddle steamer with a screw propeller still operating in Switzerland’s public passenger boat service. From May to October, it offers round trips on Sunday afternoons and public holidays. In August and September, evening trips under the theme «Evening atmosphere with steam on Lake Greifensee» also depart from «Maur, See». As timetables vary by date, it’s a good idea to check the service for your planned visit.

A ferry also operates on Lake Greifensee between Maur and Uster and carries bicycles. Frequency and seasonal service may change, so check the connection in advance. Maur on Lake Greifensee also has a lido with a bistro. Opening hours are seasonal and may change. This gives you several ways to enjoy the water: a trip on the historic paddle steamer, the ferry service and the lido.

Museums and historic sites

The Mühle Maur local museum has been housed in the Maur Mill since 1988 and features a permanent exhibition. Maur Castle was built around 1250 as a masonry residential tower. Since 1976, it has housed the Herrliberger Collection in a permanent exhibition, including the Salomon Cabinet, the art chamber and a printing workshop in the castle cellar. The printing workshop introduces visitors to historical printing techniques and typesetting; admission is free during regular museum opening hours.

Museums Maur offers free admission and is open on the first and third Saturday of each month. Check opening dates before travelling. This is particularly helpful if you’re planning to visit the exhibitions at the mill or castle: the collection at the castle and the printing workshop are quite different from the permanent exhibition at the local museum.

Maur Church also tells the story of several eras. A place of religious worship stood there as early as the 7th century; the church was first mentioned in a document in 963. Its Late Gothic form dates from between 1507 and 1511. These dates mark different stages: the site’s early religious use, its first documented mention and, finally, the construction of the present-day church.

Sagi and Maurmer Chilbi

Sagi Maur has been operational again since 1991 and has been presented to the public every year on Swiss Mill Day since 2002. If you’d like to plan your visit around this event, check the date for your chosen year. The Maurmer Chilbi is also held annually and includes public food and drink stalls. For 2026, the market was planned for Mühlestrasse, Burgstrasse and Staubergasse; the streets may vary from one edition to another. So check the details for the relevant Chilbi rather than assuming the market layout for one year will remain the same.

Getting to the museums

To reach Museums Maur, take the S-Bahn from Zurich HB to Stettbach, then a bus to «Maur, Dorf». Alternatively, take the tram to Klusplatz, then a bus to «Maur, Dorf». Timetables and connections can change, so check the details before travelling. This makes it possible to plan a museum visit, time by the lake and a boat trip as separate activities, without confusing seasonal travel times with opening dates.

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

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