Strandbad Mythenquai, on the western shore of Lake Zürich a short bus ride south of the centre, is the city's largest public lake bath. There is an imported sand beach, a long stretch of grass lawn for sunbathing, a children's paddling pool, diving boards, a swimming raft anchored offshore, and a café-bar that gets crowded with the after-work crowd in summer.
In good weather it is one of the great pleasures of Zurich life — locals swim laps out to the raft, families picnic on the grass, the sun sets behind the Üetliberg. The water in the lake is famously clean and drinkable. Open mid-May to mid-September; a small entrance fee. Bring a towel and a book; rent a paddleboard from the kiosk if you want to extend the day.