In the week leading up to Easter, the Reformierte Kirche church in Zürich fills several fountains full of roses.
Their motto is “Ohne Dornen kein Rosen”, that is “without thorns, no roses,” giving hope in a world full of difficult times.
The Zurich fountains are scheduled to be filled with roses from Tues 31 March to Tues 7 April 2026.
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When to visit the fountains
In 2026, the Altstadt Kirchen website says the fountains will be filled from 31 Mar – 7 Apr 2026. It’s best to visit on a weekday, early in the day to avoid crowds and get the best pics.
In previous years, the fountains have been filled Saturday morning one week before Easter and stay until Easter Monday. Sometimes you can get an update on www.zhkath.ch
Rose Fountain Locations
Here are the typical rose fountain locations. It has been different every year, so I will verify the locations and update this list as soon as the fountains are filled.
1. Münsterhof at Fraumünster
This large fountain is in the square in front of the Fraumünster cathedral. You can go inside the cathedral to admire the famous Chagall stained glass windows.
See on Münsterfhof fountain on a map.


On this same square, you can get delicious coffee at ViCafe, pastries at St. Jakob Beck, apero at Caffè & Bar Belpaese, and specialty chocolate at Jacot Haute Chocolaterie.
If you want less people in your picture, you need to go very early, before 8am.

2. Helmhaus at Wasserkirche
This little fountain is hidden in the covered arcade of the Wasserkirche building. This is often the quietest fountain because people don’t see it as they walk by. It has lovely light in the late afternoon.
See the Helmhaus fountain on a map.


3. Zähringerplatz at Predigerkirche
This fountain is next to the Predigerkirche church. See Zähnringerplatz fountain on a map. There is a lot of construction in this area, so watch your step as you make your way through the Niederdorf streets.


As you walk down the Niederdorf streets, stop at Schwarzenbach for specialty chocolate bars and Café & Conditorei 1842 for hot chocolate and pastries.
4. Münzplatz at the Augustinerkirche
This popular fountain is on Augustinerstrasse, perhaps the most photographed street in Zürich. It’s right next to a flower shop that often fills this fountain with flowers at other times during the year. See Münzplatz on a map.


For food, try Cafe Augustin, just a few steps further down the lane.
From past years
These fountains have had roses in previous years, but not in the last couple years.
Amazonenbrunnen on Rennweg
This fountain is at one end of Rennweg street. See Amazonen fountain on a map.


It’s next to Walter Buchmann bakery (see on map), where you can get a traditional Osterkuchen (Easter cake).
Zwingliplatz
In years past, they filled the Zwingliplatz fountain behind the Grossmünster cathedral. But not since 2022.
See Zwingliplatz fountain on a map.


Church presentations
In years past, the churches have had Easter-related presentations at different fountains on certain days in the afternoon. One year, they did a short program then gave away flowers on these days.
I will update this list when the 2026 program is published.
- Monday | Zwingliplatz near Grossmünster
- Tuesday | Münsterhof near Fraumünster
- Wednesday | On the Rennweg, crossing Strehlgasse
- Thursday | Zähringerplatz near the Preacher Church
How to get there
By public transport
The best place to start this walk is Paradeplatz. So from either Zürich HB or Stadelhofen train stations, take a tram to the Paradeplatz tram stop (tram 2, 8, 9, 11). Then walk directly east one block to the Münsterhof.
By car
The most convenient parking is at the Opernhaus (Schillerstrasse 5, 8001 Zürich). Then walk north along the Limmat to the Wasserkirche and start with Helmhaus fountain. If that lot is full, try Hohe Promendade (Rämistrasse 22A, 8001 Zürich).
Map of rose fountain locations
Here is a map of the fountains. The map also includes nearby chocolate shops, cafes, coffee shops, and bakeries. See a suggested walking route on Komoot.
5 responses
Hi Tanya, update from 2024, there are no roses at Zwingliplatz this year
Thank you for the report! They didn’t fill that fountain last year either. I’ve moved it off the active list. Hope you enjoyed the roses this year.
Hello. I don’t suppose you know, even roughly, what time the flowers will be ready to view by on the first day on Sunday? We only have the ability to visit that day and thinking about combining with a brunch!
Last year, they said the roses would be filled on the Sunday before Easter. But I went on Saturday (a week before Easter Sunday) and they were already filling up the fountains around 9am Saturday morning. So no guarantees, but I would expect the fountains to already be full by Sunday morning. I’m guessing this is a labor arrangement, that they don’t want people working Sunday morning.
What a wonderful post, thank you for sharing the lovely pictures and the helpful info, Tanya 🙂
Our quick trip into the city also gave me an opportunity to get some “Cascara” from Schwarzenbach – something I’ve been wanting to try.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CcNia_XK8l9/