Badeparadies (DE)

Summary: 1:30hr drive from Zurich, waterslide park with lots for little kids, cafe, outside food tolerated

A couple months ago, I convinced a couple of my friends to drive all the way to Badeparadies Schwarzwald in Germany and I thought it was totally worth it! It's a huge indoor waterslide park, complete with a wave pool. I wanted to go because it had lots for little kids, not just extreme waterslides for teens. It certainly delivered on that point and we all had a great time.


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Badeparadies has several options, but you will buy tickets for Galaxy Schwarzwald, which is the indoor waterslide park. The waterslides are categorized into "Family", "Action," and "X-treme," meaning there's something for everyone.



I was particularly happy with the seven "Family" slides for the under 6 crowd (shown above). There's a bench right in front of the slides, so you can sit and watch your kids go up and down the slides. You can see pictures of each slide on this page. Unlike Swiss pools, Badeparadies has attentive lifeguards that were actually enforcing the rules. One of these rules is that adults cannot go on the under 6 slides unless the child requires assistance. If your child is three, the lifeguard might ask you if your kid can do it alone. The "Family" level also has slides for 6-12 that are still quite mild. Younger children can go on these slides, but you cannot accompany them.

If your little ones are ready for bigger slides, just move up to the "Action" level slides, which are rated 7+. These are faster and longer, but fine for brave small children accompanied by an adult. I was worried that the lifeguard would tell me that my four-year old couldn't go on these slides, but that never happened. The lifeguards are more concerned about keeping big kids off the little kids slides (thank you!).

The X-treme level slides are for 13+ and the only slides with super long lines. The facility provides intertubes (single, double and triple) to use on certain slides. When it's busy, you might have to wait a bit. I don't think tntertubes are welcome in the wave pool, so bring your own flotation devices for that. I didn't see anyone with big rafts, so I'm not sure those are allowed.


The wave pool runs for 10 minutes about every half hour. It's super fun and my kids almost always abandoned the waterslides for the waves. The pool starts very shallow so small children can easily splash around. But it can get rough when the waves start, so use common sense and stay close to your kids.

The whole complex is quite small and I let my 7YO run around freely with his friends. There is an enormous lounge area filled with beach chairs, which we used as our home base. We weren't sure what the food policy was, but we saw lots of people picnicking, so we brought out our food too. There's also a reasonably priced cafe inside the pool area, right next to the waterslides.



For a small additional fee, you can visit the Palmeoasis (shown above), an enormous warm pool entirely enclosed by glass, so you kinda feel like you are outside. This pool is for relaxation, so no kids (only 16 and over) but strangely babies and toddlers (0-3 years old) are allowed at no additional cost. In my group, the parents took turns watching the watersliding kids so some of us could spend some time in the Palmeoasis. It was great!

I know what you're thinking, what about Alpemare just 20 mins from Zurich? Well, I haven't been to Alpemare yet, so I can't compare. Alpamare might be closer but Badeparadies is significantly cheaper. Alpemare is 40CHF for a 4-hr pass and 50CHF for a day pass, while Badeparadies is 19E for a day pass. OK, with gas maybe you lose a little bit of the savings, but it makes me happier to spend less and I think Badeparadies is more little-kid-friendly. Plus you can combine the outing with some over-the-border shopping and "save" some more.

Note: all pics from Badeparadies website.

upcoming workshop at American Women's Club of Zurich

Starting today, the American Women's Club of Zurich is hosting their annual "workshop week" and I'm giving a workshop on Hiking with Kids in Switzerland on Monday March 12 from 9:00 to 10:00. Sorry for the late notice! From my promo:

"Enjoying the Swiss Alps with little kids is easy if you know where to go and how to do it right. Get tips on the best kid-friendly mountain outings, how to raise your kids to be good hikers, how to prepare, and what to pack to make the most of your day."

I'd love to see you there and help get you excited about the upcoming hiking season. It'll probably be quite a small group, so you'll get a chance to ask any questions you like.

I, along with the other workshop leaders, have donated our time and talents to bring these workshops to you for a nominal fee (I think they are charging 20CHF for my workshop). Proceeds go to support programs and facilities of the AWCZ.

Learn more about Workshop Week and how to register.

frozen lakes!

frozen Türlersee

Revised: Türlersee and several other lakes are open for skating!

With this cold weather, I've been watching closely to see if the local lakes would freeze. It finally happened! Two obvious choices are the Türlersee (about 25 mins from Zurich) and the Sihlsee (about 40 mins from Zurich). Three years ago, the Türlersee froze and it was a real treat. You can read my post about the last time the Türlersee froze and how much fun you can have.

This website maintained by the Zurich police shows the frozen status of the local lakes. "Gesperrt" means closed and "begehbar" means open.

Here are two news articles about the frozen lakes that are not quite ready for ice skating:

> 20 Minuten
> Neue Luzerner Zeitung

ski schools

I was making this list for myself and thought some of you might find it useful. I'm trying to decide which ski school to put my kids in. I've heard good things about all of these. I'll report back after the classes.

Flumserberg
Ski school, about 35CHF for 2 hours not including lift pass
Lift prices, approx. 26.50CHF child full day, 18.50CHF child half day
Snow garden with magic carpet - 35CHF for 2 hours, drop in
Free magic carpets

Amden
Ski school, 35CHF for 2 hours, includes lift pass.
Lift prices, approx. 35CHF adult, 22CHF child
No snow garden.

Brunni
Ski school, approx. 42CHF for 2 hours, includes lift pass
Lift prices, approx. 21CHF adult, 16CHF child
Snow garden - 28CHF for 1 hour 12:30-13:30

See websites for details. This information is subject to change.

Kilchberg farm

the baby cows are always a favorite with our kids, these ones were only a few months old

The Kilchberg farm is a cute working farm that is open to the public. It's not like Jucker farm at all; it's just a little farm with a little shop, some animals to visit, and a sandbox to play in. It's a low-key (free) afternoon outing with super delicious fresh apple juice and milk straight from the cows. The farm has a few events during the year, particularly at Christmas and pumpkin season, where they decorate and sell special products. Check their website for details.

I was a little confused the first time I went, so I'll give a little walking tour to help orient you on your visit. Once you arrive, you'll see a big decorated building, fountain and arched entrance. I wasn't sure if I should drive in, but yes, you should. After driving through the arch, you will pass the self-service shop on your left and vending machines for apple juice and unpasteurized milk. Immediately after the shop, there are four parking spots on your left that are for shop customers. If you plan to stay awhile and look at the animals, instead turn right and drive up by the big barn. There are several parking spots there.



On your left, there is a grassy spot next with a sandbox with lots of toys. Walk down the road further into the farm and you'll see the chicken coops on your left. The bathrooms are your right. Keep walking and you'll see donkeys and goats on your left and rabbits, guinea pigs, sometimes regular pigs on your right.



Keep walking and you'll reach the cows. You can enter the cow barn on the right or left and walk right in and get up close and personal with the cows. I wasn't sure if it was ok to go in, but it totally is and if you're there in the late afternoon, you can see the cows getting milked. They ask that you keep quiet and don't run around in the cow barn as it can upset the animals. So if your kids are rowdy, come back later.



Well, that's about it. Remember to bring change and empty bottles so you can get the fresh apple juice (not always in season) and/or fresh milk from the vending machines. The little shop sells eggs, potatoes, yogurt, sausage, seasonal fruit, and other products of the farm. The shop is self-service so you add up your own total and drop your money into the cash box.

Stockenstr. 84, Kilchberg. Map

Their website: http://www.stockengut.ch/

swim school

Recently, I helped a friend search for swim schools and I thought I'd share the results of my findings.

First, Swimsports.ch is a great site that lists swim schools in Zurich kanton and all over Switzerland. The schools listed as "Aquality" use the same standard swim levels, as displayed in the icons above.

I'm familiar with two swim schools near Zurich. Although my kids haven't taken lessons there, I've heard positive reviews from several friends on both schools. Both locations have separate baby pools and shallow pools where your other children can swim while you wait for the class to finish.

- Aqua-fit swim school in Adliswil, about 16CHF/lesson, plus pool entrance for 6+ years old. Parents can view class behind glass without entering pool area (i.e. no fee and no swimsuit for you).

- Zollikuda swim school in Zollikon/Fohrbach, about 25CHF/lesson, which includes pool entrance. Parent must accompany child into pool area, which means you must pay your own pool entrance fee and wear a swimsuit.



There is an upcoming swim competition for children (born 1999 or earlier) called Zürifisch. Any child living in Zurich can participate. It's free and you don't have to register beforehand. You simply show up to the one of the pools listed on their site on March 14 between 13:30 to 15:00. The kids have to swim 50 meters. The fastest kids in each age group qualify for the finals held on April 14. I'm planning to take my soon-to-be 8yr old this year, just for the experience.

Lastly, all pools in Zurich kanton (and all Switzerland) are listed on badi-info.ch. You can choose to view outdoor pools (Freibad) or Hallenbad (indoor heated pools).

If you've had a good experience with a swim school in Zurich, please leave a comment!

Elki Turnen (aka Kiddie Gym Class)

With this cold weather, you're probably looking for more indoor activities. Muki (or Elki) Turnen is a gymnastics class for the 3-5YO crowd with parent participation. Muki stands for Mutter/Kinder, Elki stands for Eltern/Kinder. Many Gemeindes offer these classes and some are privately organized. They are usually very affordable, ranging from as low as 2CHF/session to about 10CHF/session.



Over the years I've attended three different turnen classes and they are all about the same. The class usually starts with some songs and games. Then the parents help build a complicated parcour course with the gym equipment. Then the kids climb around on the equipment for awhile, assisted by their parents. Then clean-up and a closing song/game. Each session usually has a theme, like animals or a season or holiday, and the activities revolve around this theme.



I mention this now as the new term usually starts in March, after the February school holiday. So now's the time to find a class so you can sign up after the holiday. I can't point you to any specific turnen classes at the moment, but the first place you should look is your local Gemeinschaftzentrum (aka community center). This website lists all the Gemeinschaftzentrums in Zurich city. The pages for various Gemeinschaftzentrums (like Affoltern, Seefeld, Wollishofen) show the services and activities happening there. Or just stop by your local GZ and ask around. This is how I found mine. I'll write more about the wonderfulness of Gemeinschaftzentrums in another post.

http://www.gz-zh.ch/

Toy shopping in Germany - How to Guide

This sugary sweet advent calendar was brought to you by Germany's affordable VAT-free shopping. Each bag of mini-candies, ~1-3EUR. The advent sock chain, ~12EUR. One item off my Christmas checklist, priceless.

After six years in Switzerland, I finally did my first shopping trip to Germany, processing the VAT refund and everything. It was awesome! I did a bunch of my Christmas shopping there and it made me so happy to buy more for less. Plus there is a different/better selection than in Switzerland.

Is it worth it? -------------------------
Not everything is significantly cheaper, but I found prices to be about 30-40% cheaper (including VAT) on the things I was interested in. If you process your VAT refund, you save another 19% on top of that. I spent about 30CHF on gas round trip and an hour driving each way. I think it's totally worth it, but it really depends on what you buy there. If you are already in Germany for another reason, it's a downright shame to not also shop there.


The Affenalarm game above is 26CHF at Manor, 15EUR at Real DE, and 10EUR on Amazon.de
The Lego box is 90CHF at Manor and 39EUR at Real.
The Babalu line (compatible with Brio) has a battery train for 10EUR, while the Brio one is 30CHF at Manor. The Babalu train tracks are 3-10EUR while the Brio ones range 15-30CHF.


Food is cheap too.

What about Swiss Customs? -------------------------
I am not an expert. You can read the official customs policy here. But in general, you are allowed 300CHF duty-free per person. There are also limits on certain food stuffs, like dairy and meat (see official rules here). Important things to note:

- Customs calculates how many francs you spent using their exchange rate (1.25CHF = 1EUR today).

- If you are over over the limit, you are charged customs on the whole amount, not just the difference. So if you spent 301CHF, you are charged customs on 301CHF, not the 1CHF you are over, that's 24CHF fyi. I know because it happened to me.

- You get 300CHF/person but you cannot split the cost of one item over multiple people. If one item cost 301CHF, you are over the limit even if you have 6 people in your car.

- If you stop to process VAT, the Swiss customs people will first look at your receipts and look in your car (maybe just through the windows) to see if you are over the limit. So if you claim one thing, you better plan on claiming everything.

- Food is charged at 2.5% and everything else at 8%. You will get a receipt that details this.

How do I process VAT? -------------------------
When you pay for your stuff, ask for an "Ausfuhrschein" (or if like me, just mumble "VAT?" and shrug your shoulders). Either the sales clerk will fill out and stamp the Ausfuhrschein right at the register, or they'll send you to Customer Service where someone will do it there. Then drive to the border and park near the German side of the border (sometimes before you get the Swiss border). Near Singen, the German and Swiss borders are at the same place, so you drive through Swiss, park just on the other side and walk over to the German side to get your stamp.

If Swiss customs stop you, just show your Ausfuhrschein. They'll check to make sure you are under the 300CHF/person limit (see above for details), peer in your car windows, and tell you where to park so you can walk over to German side.

At the German border, you go to the Steuer (aka Tax) window and show them your Ausfuhrschein(s) and passport. They asked me if all the items were in my car and if the Ausfuhrscheins I gave them represented everything I bought. They stamp the Ausfuhrschein (have you learned this word yet?) and you're on your way.

To get your money, you have to return to the store (usually within 12 months, but ask at the store beforehand) and present your stamped Ausfuhrschein.

Where to go? -------------------------
I've only been once, so I'm not an expert. But here's where I went and where friends told me to go. Most Zürichers shop in Singen or Konstanz, both of which are about an hour drive from Zurich. Today I went to Singen and shopped at Real (like a Walmart with groceries) and Karlstadt, a department store. Singen has a small pedestrian shopping area with other obvious shopping options like H&M. Next time I plan to go Konstanz which has a mall and big pedestrian shopping area.

Real
Georg-Fischer-Str. 15, 78224 Singen Deutschland
Open Mon-Sat 7:00-22:00Uhr
Online shop, toys section

Karlstadt
Bahnhofstraße 19-21, 78224 Singen Deutschland
Open Mon-Sat 9:15-19:00Uhr
Online toy catalog

Müller
Marktstätte 13, 78462 Konstanz, Deutschland
Open Mon-Sat 9:00-22:00
Online toy catalog

Anyone have any other favorite places to shop in Germany?


View DE shopping in a larger map

What about online shopping? -------------------------
Amazon.de is an obvious choice for books (English too!) and other media, but I've also had a good experience buying toys there. Shipping is always free for books and other media, and free for other goods if you spend over 20CHF. Amazon.de deducts VAT on checkout, so your purchase total suddenly is lower on the final confirmation page - what a nice surprise!

The customs policy for online shopping is confusing. The official rules say that all goods arriving in Switzerland by post are subject to tax and there is no duty-free limit, except gifts for which there is a 100CHF duty-free limit. Customs is charged on not only the value of the good but also the shipping charges.

However, I've never been heard of anyone being charged customs on items purchased from Amazon.de. I don't know why. I've heard there is a 60CHf or 80CHF duty-free limit and that books and other media are exempt. But the official rules don't say anything about this. In an abundance of caution, I always keep my orders small, under 50EUR, breaking my order up into multiple batches if necessary.

Also, Amazon will not ship certain items to Switzerland, like electronics and kitchen appliances (I don't know what the real rules are). Also some suppliers on Amazon won't ship to Switzerland. You won't find any of this out until you try to checkout and enter your Swiss shipping address. So don't wait to buy at the last minute, only to find out they won't ship to Switzerland.

Remember, I'm not an expert, so use this information at your own risk. I'll try to update this post as I have more experience shopping in Germany. Next stop for me, Konstanz. Happy shopping, ya'll!

Christmas market on Pilatus - this weekend only

Just a quick note. We went to the Christmas market on top of Pilatus today and it was pretty fun. It only runs this weekend, so go tomorrow (Sunday) if you're interested. Check the weather on their webcams to make sure you can get a good view. It's not worth it if you're stuck in the clouds.


the complex on top of Pilatus


Christmas market on all levels of Pilatus market. Games to try in Hasbro's Spielraum downstairs.

What will you find there? Everything is decked out in Christmas decorations. There's music and food. There are lots of booths selling handmade Christmas stuff. There's a Spielraum downstairs hosted by Hasbro that has lots of board games for you to try with your kids. It's not the best Christmas market I've been to, but there were more handmade stuff than you see at other market and it has the fun novelty factor of being on top of a mountain.


Trail to Tomlishorn is short and easy, but only partly good for strollers. My kids loved the signs describing the flowers, even if the flowers were all dead by now.

Then there's all the regular stuff like great mountain views and a few trails. We did the trail to Tomlishorn, which took us about 45 mins one way, walking pretty slow. The first half of the trail is ok for strollers. But after the stairs, the trail gets super rocky and you're stroller will not make it. So carry your kids or have them walk after that. It's not a difficult or particularly long trail and the views are great. Small kids can do it with a little motivation. Our four year old did it just fine without complaining.


view from Tomlishorn, I think it's worth it

Like most places, the food is outrageously priced. There are plenty of places to sit and picnic. At the minimum, I'd recommend bringing your own drinks unless you fancy paying 5CHF a pop.

I'll update my Pilatus post soon based on my visit today.

Christmas: Samichlaus in woods

Schmützli and donkey outside Samichlaus forest hut

As promised, here are more details about visiting Samichlaus in the woods (aka Waldhüsli).

In Zurich, Samichlaus is always at the waldhut (forest house) in the Chäferbergwald near Buchenggplatz during the first week of December and it's free to visit. In 2011, he'll be there from Fri 2 Dec to Wed 7 Dec from 10am to 4pm. See their website for more info. We've been here at least four out of the last six years. Here's how to get there and what to expect.

You can take trams 4, 11, 15 or bus 32 (see sbb.ch for details) to Bucheneggplatz and walk northwest towards the forest. Or you can drive past Buchenplatz to the edge of the woods and park in the blue zone street parking along Käferholzstrasse (see maps below). The parking can get very full, but I've never had a problem getting a spot. The maps below show some detail about how to get there.

This map shows an overview of Zurich. The blue dots show where to park and where the hut is.


This map shows more detail. The blue dot on the right shows where to park. The blue line shows where the trail is. The blue dot on the left shows approximately where the Samichlaus hut is.


Once you get to the forest, just take whichever trail you see, as they mostly all converge on a main dirt road that lead through the forest. You'll probably see people jogging along this road and there is a parcours course there too. There will probably be other people with kids going the same place as you. Just keep walking along this dirt road until you see the Samichlaus hut. There is at least one wood sign along the trail/road that say "Zur Samichlaus". It takes about 30 minutes or so with little kids. It is fine for strollers. If it's snowy, you can bring your sled to drag your kids up the trail and sled back down. This doesn't happen every year, but when it does, it's super fun.



The little wood hut where Samichlaus lives is a simple affair but festively decorated. There are a couple donkeys next to the hut (don't feed the animals) and a slightly scary helper, Schmützli. You wait in line (can be very long on weekends) until it's your turn to go in the hut.



They squeeze in about 30 people into a very small smokey room where Samichlaus lives (shown below). Samichlaus tells a story or two to the children, usually instructive (like about brushing your teeth). He asks the children to recite a Sprüchli (a Christmas poem or song) they have memorized for the occasion. If your kids go to Swiss school, they will have learned something for this, so ask them about it before. It's all in Swiss German, so bring your own translator if that's important to you. When you exit the hut, you can shake hands with Samichlaus and they give you a few nuts, maybe a cookie. There is a donation box outside the hut. It's free to visit, but they do ask for donations to help fund this event. So if you're feeling generous, drop a few francs in the box. It's all very rustic and very Swiss. You should definitely go at least once.



If you go in the afternoon, you'll get a lovely view of Zurich in twilight.



You should also check with your local Gemeindehaus to see what they do. They often have Samichlaus visit the Gemeindehaus, but you probably have to sign up beforehand and pay a small fee. Or they arrange Samichlaus to visit their local forest hut. You might have to be a member of the community family club to participate, or just know the right people. Just ask around your local playground and someone will know.