Mass tourism in the middle of Zurich Tourists overrun police station - authorities intervene
The entrance hall of the Urania police station in Zurich has become a popular tourist attraction. So popular that the Zurich city police had to intervene. There are now new rules.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The Giacometti Hall, also known as the "Blüemlihalle", is a popular tourist attraction.
- It became so popular that the Zurich city police had to intervene.
- Since October 2023, the hall may only be visited with a guide and for no longer than ten minutes.
The entrance hall of the Urania guardhouse in Zurich has "the most beautiful entrance to a police station", according to the flyer from the city of Zurich. Around 100 years ago, the Swiss artist Augusto Giacometti created colorful frescoes that transform the foyer into a work of art.
The entrance hall is also known as the "Blüemlihalle" and is not only a well-known sight, but also one of the most important in the city of Zurich.
Rules have been established
The hall is trending heavily on TikTok. So much so that last year in October it was decided that the Blüemlihalle is no longer freely accessible to tourists, but can only be entered when accompanied by a guide.
The group size is limited to a maximum of 20 people and the tour time to ten minutes. Advance booking is not possible. The opening hours have also been adjusted. The hall is now only open to interested parties from Wednesday to Saturday from 2 pm to 5 pm.
Since the introduction of visitor management, the situation in the Urania guardhouse has improved noticeably, says Stapo spokesman Daniel Wäspi to theTages-Anzeigernewspaper.
According to Wäspi, the only problem is that visitors to the Giacometti Hall may "cause discomfort" among people who have just filed a complaint at the police station.
16,327 visitors
According to the specialist unit for art and construction in the Department of Buildings, which is responsible for the guided tours, a total of 16,327 people visited the attraction between October 2023 and October 2024. This means that an average of more than 80 people visited each of the four afternoons per week.
This is significantly fewer than after coronavirus, but the numbers have recently "increased significantly", says Markus Pfanner, spokesperson for the Department of Buildings. "The turnstile and entrance option was also discussed," says Pfanner. However, the implementation proved to be very complex.
Among other things, structural measures would have been necessary, for example for security or fire safety reasons. According to Pfanner, it is important that the hall remains "easily accessible and free of charge" for all residents and visitors to the city.