Restaurants The choice of eating places ranges from the country inn to the gourmet restaurant. Specialities of Zug and the rest of Switzerland, as well as international dishes are on offer. Find the restaurant of your choice in the community of your choice on
www.zug-tourismus.ch (Gastronomy) or order the Gourmet brochure (in German only) at the Zug Tourism homepage (Offers, Brochure ordering).
Hotels The Zug region offers all types of accommodation, ranging from modern 4-star hotels to simple places where the guests sleep in straw. All the hotels throughout the canton are listed on
www.zug-tourismus.ch (Accommodation). There is also an accommodation list available at the Zug Tourism homepage (Offers, Brochure ordering).
Events Here is a selection of the major events and customs in Zug, around the year.
| Bäckermöhli | January | This is a yearly festival in the old town, organized by the guilds of the millers, bakers, and confectioners. Sausages and bread rolls are thrown to the children from the windows of the restaurants Aklin and Ochsen. |
| Fasnacht | February | Carnival is supposed to drive away the spirits of winter. Nowadays carnival is celebrated with ever increasing participation, and parades with unusual musical accompaniment (called "Guggenmusik") are held in the town. |
| Greth Schell | February | This festival is organized in the old town of Zug by the guilds of carpenters, turners, and coopers. By tradition, Greth Schell carried her drunken husband home in a basket on her back. Every year the children gather to shout "Greth Schällebei" and catch oranges and candy. |
| Chröpfelimeh | February | Costumed groups sing to newly-married couples in the Old Town. In return the singing groups receive wine and "Chröpfeli", a local cookie. |
| Seenachtsfest | June | A lake festival with a firework display, held in Zug. |
| Swiss Inline Cup | July | This is one of the most popular sporting events in Zug. The beautiful route around the Lake of Zug attracts many skaters and a large crowd of people to cheer them on. |
| Open Air Cinema | July/August | The cinema invites everyone to enjoy movies in the open air on Zug's beautiful beach promenade. A different way to enjoy the cinema. |
| Swiss National Day | August 1 | There are festivities in the town. Public buildings, private estates and gardens are open to the public. |
| Altstadt-Jazz-Night | August | The Jazz Night is today one of the major events in Zug. A varied jazz program provides great evening entertainment in the incomparable atmosphere at the banks of the Lake of Zug. |
| Zuger Stierenmarkt | September | Since 1898, the locality of Herti has been the scene of the annual cattle market organized by the Swiss Cattle Breeders' Association. On two market days, farmers from all over Switzerland and even from neighboring countries come to Zug to buy or sell animals. |
| Zuger Messe | October | A commercial fair |
| Märlisunntig | December | "Fairytale Sunday" for children in the city of Zug. |
In the Zug Culture Calendar (
www.zug.ch/kulturzug) and on the website of the Zug Tourism Office (
www.zug-tourismus.ch), you can find more information about current events. If you wish to buy tickets for any events in Zug please contact Billett Service Zug (
www.billett-service.ch), Ticketcorner (
www.ticketcorner.ch) or Starticket (
www.starticket.ch).
Culinary specialities Zuger Kirsch Succulent cherries grow well in the mild climate round Lake Zug. The distillation of the finest cherry liquor therefore has a long tradition in Zug. One of the most well-known distilleries belongs to the Etter family. See
www.etter-kirsch.ch. There are also still many farmers in the individual communities who have a licence to distil kirsch.
Zuger Kirschtorte Zug’s cherry liquor cake has a firm place in the international world of confectionery and catering. It is amazing that it took relatively few years for it to reach this kind of status. In its present form, the gateau is a relatively recent creation.
Zuger Rötel Nearly as famous as the kirsch gateau in Zug is one of the finest trout: the lake saibling "Savelinus alpinus", known locally as the "Zuger Rötel", in French the "Omble Chevalier". In summer the fish is white, particularly when it moves from deeper to shallower water for spawning. But from September, the male changes its belly color to red before approaching the female to make sure that there is always Zuger Rötel on the menu.
Zuger Chriesiblüete This very popular confection has a crunchy hazelnut and biscuit base, soaked in kirsch, a mouth-watering truffle middle, and is covered in delicious chocolate.
Zuger Bsetzistei These are small, square, truffle-filled chocolate cubes that melt on the tongue. Their shape was inspired by the cobblestones in the Altstadt "Bsetzi" – the historic part of Zug, now a paradise for pedestrians.
(based on "zug : expat guide.")
