If you live in or have visited Zurich, you have certainly been to the Niederdorf, a beautiful part of the city boardering the Limmat river and hosting a variety of Shops, Bars, Clubs and Restaurants.
What you might not know though, is that there are hidden tourist gems within Niederdorf, such as the “Ehgraben”, an old sewer ditch. Before the invention of the water closet and underground sewege, the local law’s required a narrow ditch to be maintained between buildings. The ditch needed a minimum width, that “a one year old piglet could still turn around”.
Some of these sewer ditches are still present and one of them is open to tourists, but only if you request the key to it, at the Architectural History Archive of the city.
However, if you get the key (free of charge) a wonderfull little time travel experience awaits you. Step from the vivid city life right into a medevial tunnel, walk right through it, or take some time and study the historical information on the walls, only to re-emerge right back into contemporary Zurich.
This post is also available in: German