Bandstand

This bandstand is about 15 years older than the National Museum. The fact is that the first Swiss national exhibition was held here on the Platzspitz in 1883. The bandstand and a fountain were the hub of the exhibition site. They didn’t stand on this exact spot, but a little closer to where the museum is now. But when construction of the National Museum started, the park was reconfigured and the fountain had to go. But the bandstand was moved a few dozen meters and allowed to stay.
The “Platz” in the name Platzspitz is part of the German word “Schiessplatz”, meaning an area used for target practice, – it was a training ground for hundreds of years, right up until the 18th century. The second part of the name, “Spitz”, refers to the tongue of land formed by the two rivers Limmat and Sihl joining here.
Note the two huge plane trees on the mound right here. We’ll tell you something more about them a bit later.