Goldcoast, eastern shore of the Lake of Zürich
The Goldcoast, also called Goldküste in German, is a string of lakeside communities along the east shore of Lake Zurich in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland, covering towns such as Küsnacht, Meilen, and Stäfa. The terrain rises gently from the water, moving from lakeside promenades and large residential properties up through vineyards and forests toward the hills behind.
The settlements along the Goldcoast date back to Roman times, and several towns served as toll points along the lake's water transport route during the Middle Ages. In the 19th century, wealthy families from Zurich began building large villas on these sunny slopes, which gradually gave the area its reputation and its name.
The name "Gold Coast" refers to the sunny position on the east side of Lake Zurich, which receives more hours of sunlight than the opposite shore. Along the lakeside promenade, tended gardens, terraces, and small restaurants face the water, with the Alps visible in the background on clear days.
Trains stop regularly at small stations along the shore, making it easy to move between towns and to return to Zurich at any point. A marked cycling path runs close to the water for much of the route and is also accessible on foot along large sections.
The east side of the lake catches the afternoon sun, while the west side, called the Pfnüselküste, falls into shade earlier in the day. This difference in sunlight shaped both land prices and viticulture on each side of the lake over centuries, and the contrast remains visible today in the number of vineyards along the Goldcoast slopes.
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