Schlieren is a city and political municipality in the District of Dietikon in the Canton of Zurich. It developed from a rural farming community into an urban small town; its industrial history is therefore a defining way to explore the area. Alongside this historical perspective, you can visit a city park, two museums and the Hohenstein hiking route during your stay. These offer different experiences: a park surrounding a church, historical exhibitions, industrial culture, and a route from the town centre through open countryside and into the forest.
City Park around the Reformed Church
The city park surrounds the Reformed Church and includes a playground. If you would like to include a playground in your plans, you can make the park a focus of your visit. Unlike the museums, the park’s defining feature is a specific element within its grounds; its location around the church also connects it with a clearly identifiable landmark in the townscape. This makes it easy to distinguish from a museum visit or a hike.
Two museums with different visitor offerings
The Schlieren Local Museum displays objects and images from the past in a permanent exhibition. Annual temporary exhibitions add changing themes to the permanent display. The museum therefore offers two different ways to explore its collections: the permanent exhibition focuses on historical objects and images, while the annual temporary format makes room for additional exhibitions. Groups, school classes and clubs can visit the local museum at any time by prior arrangement.
When checked on 26 August 2026, the Wagonsfabrik Schlieren Museum was listed as open from 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays. Opening hours may change, so check them before your visit. For children’s birthday parties, the museum offers a package in the stationary Ticino railcar in front of the museum. The railcar and its location are part of this specific offering; when planning a museum visit, it is also worth noting that its opening times differ from those of the local museum.
Industrial history: the gasworks and wagon factory
The Schlieren gasworks is an important industrial, social-historical and architectural witness to the history of the city of Zurich. One notable object within this industrial history is Gasometer 1: built in 1898, it is considered a protected object of national importance because of its rarity. The gasworks’ status as a historical witness and the gasometer’s particular significance complement each other but describe different aspects: the former concerns the history of the gasworks, while the latter concerns the protection status of a rare object.
The Swiss Wagon and Elevator Factory AG is also part of Schlieren’s industrial history. It was based there from 1899 until it closed in 1985. The Swiss Wagon and Elevator Factory Schlieren (SWS) was a company involved in the development of modern mobility in Switzerland. Taken together, these details provide a timeframe for local industrial history and show its connection to the development of mobility. If you are choosing a cultural focus, you can explore both the history of the gasworks and that of the wagon factory.
Hohenstein: from the station through town and countryside
The Hohenstein hiking route starts at Schlieren station. From there, it passes through the town centre, then across open countryside and into the forest. This sequence links different sections along one route: first the centre, then more open countryside, and finally the forest. The station marks the starting point of the hike. It is on the Zurich–Baden railway line and is served by S-Bahn lines S11 and S12, as well as night lines SN1 and SN11; check the current timetable for your specific journey.
When choosing the focus of your stay, you can distinguish between individual places and a route: the local museum focuses on historical objects and images, the gasworks and wagon factory represent industrial history, the city park includes a playground, and Hohenstein leads from the centre into the countryside and forest. This makes it possible to explore Schlieren according to your interests without treating the different visitor offerings and sections of the route as if they were the same.
Discover more destinations: Uitikon, Unterengstringen, Aesch, Birmensdorf, Dietikon, Geroldswil
Go to the main travel overview: Dietikon.
