A self-guided audio tour in Zurich, Switzerland, available for booking in 2026, takes visitors through the medieval criminal history of one of Europe's wealthiest cities — a place where polished banking facades conceal a brutal past of witch trials, public hangings and state-sanctioned burnings.
A City Built on Dark Foundations
Zurich today projects an image of order, neutrality and financial precision. But beneath the gleaming surfaces of Bahnhofstrasse and the tranquil shores of Lake Zurich lies a city with a deeply violent history. For centuries, its streets and squares served as stages for public punishment, religious persecution and judicial terror.
The Dark Side of Zurich is a self-guided audio experience that confronts that history directly. Lasting between 1.5 and 2 hours, the tour uses a high-quality audio guide recorded by a professional speaker to lead visitors through the locations where Zurich's darkest chapters actually unfolded.
Witchcraft, Burning and the Law
Among the most disturbing confirmed facts of the tour: visitors walk the same streets where real, named individuals were condemned and executed for witchcraft during the medieval period. These were not abstractions or legends — they were residents of Zurich, tried by its courts and killed by its institutions.
The tour identifies the exact place within the city from which those condemned to death were led out through the city gates on their way to execution grounds beyond the walls. Standing at that threshold today, with the audio account of what happened there playing in your ear, the experience carries a weight that no museum exhibit can replicate.
Beyond the city boundaries, visitors learn where those condemned were burned and where they were hanged — the specific geography of Zurich's execution culture, mapped onto a city that most travellers know only through its contemporary reputation.
Self-Guided, At Your Own Pace
The format is deliberately flexible. Unlike a guided group tour, the self-guided audio experience allows visitors to move at their own pace, pause the audio, and absorb each location without the pressure of keeping up with a crowd. This is particularly appropriate for material of this nature — the history of execution and persecution deserves more than a hurried glance.
The tour is bookable through GetYourGuide with free cancellation, making it a low-risk addition to any Zurich itinerary. Pricing starts from $105 per person. For exact availability, current pricing in your currency, and to reserve your spot, visit the Zurich Mystery & Crime Tours page on GetYourGuide.
What Else Is on Offer in Zurich
GetYourGuide also lists additional mystery and crime experiences in Zurich for 2026, including an Outdoor Escape Game with Augmented Reality through the city, and a guided Escape Game that incorporates a Polybahn ride with snacks and drinks. Durations and prices for these experiences are not listed publicly — contact the operator directly for details.
These alternative formats suit travellers who prefer a more interactive or gamified approach to the city's hidden history, while the audio tour remains the most direct engagement with Zurich's documented criminal past.
Practical Information
- **Tour name:** The Dark Side of Zurich: Self-Guided Audio City Tour
- **Duration:** 1.5 to 2 hours
- **Format:** Self-guided with professional audio narration
- **Language:** Audio recorded in English (other language availability — contact the operator)
- **Price:** From $105 per person
- **Cancellation policy:** Free cancellation available
- **Booking:** Via [GetYourGuide](https://www.getyourguide.com/zurich-l498/mystery-crime-experiences-tc2032/)
Why Zurich Belongs on the True Crime Map
True crime travel tends to cluster around cities with obvious criminal reputations — Chicago, London, New York. Zurich rarely makes that list, which is precisely what makes it worth your attention. The city's current identity as a global financial centre is relatively recent. For most of its history, it was a place where the mechanisms of social control — religious, legal, and lethal — operated in full public view.
The Dark Side of Zurich doesn't sensationalise that history. It documents it, location by location, with the voices of real people at its centre. For a traveller with an interest in how societies have defined, punished and executed those they deemed criminal or deviant, an afternoon in Zurich's old streets offers more than most dedicated crime cities ever will.
