Countdown abroad—isn’t this the New Year’s celebration everyone dreams of at least once? However, New Year’s holidays in Christian countries often see entire cities wrapped in silence, and I personally experienced an unsatisfying feeling during a London New Year’s celebration in the past.
In this context, what caught our attention this year was information about Zurich’s New Year’s Eve events. With catchphrases like “one of Europe’s premier fireworks displays” and “a major event attracting tourists from various countries,” our expectations grew that this might provide the ideal New Year’s celebration. While Zurich is known as Switzerland’s financial city, word-of-mouth reports that it shows a glamorous face during the New Year holidays also encouraged us.
Today, I’d like to share the 2024-2025 countdown experience in Zurich through this on-site experience report.
The Dinner Reservation Battle
In Switzerland, the traditional New Year’s style is families gathering around Fondue Chinoise
Soon after deciding on a Zurich New Year’s celebration, we encountered our first hurdle. One week before travel, when trying to make dinner reservations, all the major restaurants in the city were completely booked. Not only did automatic reservation systems show no availability, but multiple email attempts all returned responses saying they were either fully booked or closed for Christmas holidays. From high-end restaurants to casual establishments, we inquired everywhere, but prospects looked dim.
La Bottega di Mario has a local restaurant atmosphere. It’s relatively casual within the upscale District 1 area
Just when we were about to give up, we miraculously found that the Italian-Swiss restaurant “La Bottega di Mario” in District 1 had an available slot for their Silvester (New Year’s Eve) course dinner. This was probably a last-minute cancellation. We immediately confirmed the reservation.
The chef’s special New Year’s course was a pairing menu centered around “Fondue Chinoise” (Swiss-style hot pot), Switzerland’s traditional New Year’s dish. Including the appetizer ham, it was an excellent restaurant, so I’ll introduce the restaurant details in a separate article.
The festive table setting was charming
Perhaps the alcohol was too effective, or the final dessert wine was stronger than expected, so we decided to rest at the hotel first. Fortunately, we had secured a hotel in a convenient location near the station, but thinking about it now, if the hotel had been far away, we might have had to abandon the New Year’s celebration at that point.
Into the Lively Night Streets
After taking a nap to recover our energy, we looked at the clock and saw it was past 11 PM. We hurriedly got ready and finally headed to the main event: the fireworks display.
The fireworks display would be in central Zurich, and the best view was said to be from Bürkliplatz in the lakeside area. It was about a 20-minute tram ride from the hotel, but we decided to walk for the sake of exploration. When we reached Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich’s busiest main street, there was already a wave of people. People of all ages, families, couples, friend groups—various people were all walking south. This street, usually lined with luxury brand shops, seemed to show a different face on this night alone.
The main street becomes increasingly crowded as countdown approaches
Laughter echoing through the streets, conversations mixing various languages, and… suddenly, the sound of fireworks cutting through the sky! Looking back reflexively, small fireworks were being launched beyond the alley. Surprisingly, these weren’t official fireworks but spontaneous launches by local young people.
In Japan, this would immediately become a police matter, but here in Zurich, no one seemed bothered. Instead, cheers arose from passersby. Police officers were nearby too, but perhaps they were turning a blind eye just for this day.
Street vendor rave near Bürkliplatz
As we approached Bürkliplatz, the density of people increased. On New Year’s Eve night, there were no restaurants you could enter without reservations, but around Bürkliplatz there were food stalls, so people who had worked up an appetite were forming lines. Warm food aromas drifted from the stalls, and people could be seen holding hot wine.
After 11:30 PM, we finally arrived near the lakeside front lines. The front row was already completely filled, but we managed to secure a spot where we could see the lake surface between the tall people. Looking around, young people were climbing onto buildings seeking better views.
The cold was becoming severe, but everyone seemed to be eagerly awaiting this moment. People could be seen checking their smartphones and counting down the remaining time.
The Moment No One Anticipated
Finally, 12:00 AM on January 1, 2025 was approaching. Would everyone start counting down together? Surely the countdown would begin in German… In that case, we Japanese might be left behind. While worrying about this, the clock suddenly pointed to midnight.
Mini fireworks launched at midnight
However, there was no big countdown as I had imagined. Before we knew it, the new year had begun quietly. Instead, small-scale fireworks began going off around us with pop-pop-pop sounds. From left and right, fireworks were launched as if competing with each other. But somehow they seemed small. Was this the rumored “one of Europe’s premier fireworks displays”? The foreign tourists next to us were also tilting their heads in confusion.
Meanwhile, overhearing a conversation between nearby tourists, I heard: “The real fireworks start at 12:20. What’s happening now is just everyone launching their own.” It seemed local young people were excitedly setting off guerrilla fireworks. While this reassured us somewhat, it raised the question: why would the official launch be at 12:20?
An Unexpected Climax
As 12:20 approached, people’s expectations rose while boredom reached its peak. The cold was also severe, and families could be heard whispering “shall we go home?” Some families, perhaps mistaking the earlier small-scale fireworks at midnight for the end of the show, or worried about the last train, began walking toward the station. Even the young people who had positioned themselves on buildings were already absorbed in their smartphones.
In this atmosphere, at exactly 20 minutes past, the street lights suddenly went out. The moment we were enveloped in darkness, cheers arose from the entire venue.
People holding up smartphones to capture the New Year’s fireworks finally being launched
“BOOM!” A deep bass sound echoed. The volume was so loud that we instinctively braced ourselves. But… no fireworks were visible anywhere. “BOOM!” “BOOM!” continued the loud sounds. But there was nothing in the night sky before us.
People at the venue began turning their heads in unison. Like a treasure hunt, people looked around the sky trying to figure out which direction the fireworks were being launched from.
Then, finally, we began to understand the situation. The thick fog that had been bothering us since arriving in Zurich was completely hiding the fireworks. The magnificent fireworks that should have been launched just a few hundred meters away over the lake never showed themselves to us.
However, instead we witnessed an unexpectedly magical sight. Though the fireworks weren’t visible, their light illuminated the entire fog. Like a giant screen, the entire sky was dyed green, then red, then blue. A unique light show woven by sound, light, and fog—something rare in the world—had begun.
Like a natural disaster, fireworks behind the fog dye the sky bright red
While the audience had initially voiced disappointment, they gradually became fascinated by this unique spectacle. “I’ve never seen fireworks like this!” people laughed while taking photos. Interestingly, this situation that could be seen as a “failure” actually brought smiles to people’s faces and made the venue’s atmosphere more pleasant. Strangers looked at each other and laughed together. “This is a first,” “Zurich’s fog sometimes gives us lovely surprises,” they said, enjoying the unexpected turn of events.
As the main fireworks neared their end, waves of people began heading home. Among them, spontaneous fireworks by local young people were again being launched here and there. The fireworks that had seemed “reckless” on the way there now looked different.
People enjoying wild fireworks
Rather, instead of the large fireworks hidden by fog, each small firework launched nearby seemed to shine even brighter. With popping sounds, colorful lights illuminated the alleys. “Isn’t this actually prettier?” could be heard. We too, reluctantly left the venue, being seen off by these guerrilla fireworks by local young people.
Conclusion: As a Special New Year’s Memory
This certainly turned out to be a very different New Year’s celebration from the glamorous fireworks show we had imagined. However, rather than a predictable tourist spot, there were unexpected developments and a sense of unity with people enjoying them. That’s where the real essence of travel seemed to lie.
The magical sight of fireworks reflected on the fog-covered lake surface, the small fireworks launched in back alleys, the smiles exchanged with strangers—all of these became deeply etched in our hearts as special New Year’s memories that could only be experienced in Zurich.
Sometimes, things not going according to plan are what teach us the unique charm of a place—this Zurich New Year’s celebration seemed to teach us that essence of travel.