Zollikon, municipality in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland
Zollikon is a municipality in the canton of Zurich, located in the Meilen District on the eastern shore of Lake Zurich. The settlement runs from the waterfront up a hillside, with a compact center that holds local shops, schools, and cafes, surrounded by residential streets lined with gardens.
The settlement takes its name from a medieval toll house that controlled trade along Lake Zurich, and the area developed slowly around this point during the following centuries. The arrival of rail connections to Zurich in the 19th century transformed the village from a farming community into a residential town.
The name Zollikon comes from a medieval toll station that once stood here, and this origin is still reflected in local street names and older buildings near the center. Residents gather along the lakeshore on weekends, using the paths as a shared outdoor space that connects neighborhoods to the water.
The center is easy to walk through, though the streets leading uphill from the lake can be steep in places, so flat footwear is useful. Trains and buses run frequently to Zurich, making it easy to visit for a half day without a car.
Part of the Au Peninsula, a narrow strip of land that juts into Lake Zurich, falls within the municipal boundaries, and many visitors to the region never realize it is there. From its tip, you can see both shores of the lake at the same time, which is rare along this stretch of water.
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