Candle dipping in Zurich with kids: where to go for Kerzenziehen in 2026
Candle dipping in Zurich with kids: where to go for Kerzenziehen in 2026
Where to go candle dipping in and around Zurich this year, with dates, prices, and age rules for each place.
The short version
When: Most places run for two to four weeks between mid-November and mid-December. Kerzenwerk in Binz and Uto Kulm on the Uetliberg stay open into January.
Cost: You pay for the wax by weight. A thin candle comes to about CHF 4 to 6.
Ages: Some community centers don’t let in kids under four or five, and most want preschoolers to have an adult with them.
Booking: You can walk in at most places. GZ Buchegg, GZ Heuried, and Uto Kulm need a booking.
With a toddler: Go to Uster. It has a fairy-tale tent with story times next to the dipping room.
What is Kerzenziehen?
Kerzenziehen means candle dipping, and in Switzerland it’s as much a part of Advent as the first Christmas market. From November to mid-December, community centers, churches, and local associations set up workshops with heated vats of wax, and you make your own candle by dipping a wick in, pulling it out, letting it cool, and repeating until it’s as thick as you want. Switzerland’s first public candle dipping was held on Zurich’s Bürkliplatz in December 1969, and it has since spread across the country.
How it works. You get a wick, pick a color or beeswax, and start dipping. Between dips the wax needs a few minutes to cool, so you’ll spend most of the time walking a slow loop between the vat and a cooling rack. When you’re done, the candle is weighed and you pay by weight, usually CHF 3.20 to 6 per 100 g. A thin 20 cm candle weighs about 100 g, so most kids’ candles cost CHF 4 to 6. Many places also have a corner for decorating or carving.
What age it suits. Kids around four and up can usually manage with an adult beside them. Rules vary a lot: some community centers don’t admit children under four or five, and most ask that preschoolers stay with an adult the whole time. The age rules for each place are below.
What to wear. Wax drips, and it doesn’t come out of good wool. Put everyone in old clothes, tie back long hair, and leave the nice coat on the hook.
How long it takes. Longer than you’d think. A thin candle takes one to two hours of dipping, and a thick one can take four hours or more. With small kids, plan on a thin one. Several places will store a half-finished candle so you can come back another day.
Candle dipping in Zurich city
Kerzenwerk, Binz
The longest season in the city, with a café on the gallery
| DatesNov 4, 2026–Jan 10, 2027. Tue–Fri 1:30–7 p.m., Sat–Sun 10 a.m.–7 p.m., closed Mon | SettingIndoor | EntryColored wax CHF 3.80/100 g, beeswax CHF 4.80/100 g, wick CHF 1.50, minimum CHF 3 per candle |
| Best forAll ages; preschoolers with an adult | ||
Kerzenwerk is run by Exagon, the candle company that grew out of the Zürcher Kerzenziehen in 1975, and it’s the only place in the city that keeps dipping well into January. That makes it the fallback when the Advent pop-ups have closed, or when you want to make candles for the new year instead of for the wreath. It’s 200 meters from the Binz S-Bahn station and right at the bus 76 stop, and there’s parking.
You can just walk in. There’s colored wax and beeswax, and Café Franzl upstairs on the gallery is self-service and open Wednesday to Sunday, so one parent can sit with a coffee while the other does the dipping loop. On Saturday, December 5, from 1:30 p.m., there’s a wine tasting and mulled wine for the adults.
Good to know: Kerzenwerk also does candle dipping birthday parties all year: CHF 25 per child including materials, for 10 to 16 kids, about two and a half hours and two candles each, from around age five. Book by phone at 044 430 36 76 or by email at info@exagon.ch, and send your theme a week ahead.
Official website: kerzenwerk.ch/de/kerzenziehen
GZ Bachwiesen, Albisrieden
A month of afternoons and evenings, no booking
| DatesNov 15–Dec 13. Tue 7–9:30 p.m., Wed–Fri 2–5:15 p.m. and 7–9:30 p.m., Sat 2–4:30 p.m., Sun noon–3:30 p.m. | SettingIndoor (workshop) | EntryParaffin CHF 4/100 g, beeswax CHF 5/100 g |
| Best forAges 5+ | ||
Bachwiesen runs one of the longest seasons among the city’s community centers, a full four weeks from mid-November, with both afternoon and evening sessions most weekdays. There’s no registration. The room holds 50 people, so on a busy afternoon you may wait at the door for a spot.
Children under five aren’t allowed in for safety reasons, and kids under seven need an adult with them. School classes come in the mornings, so afternoons are when families get the workshop.
Good to know: Bring your own bag to carry candles home, and stay home if anyone has a cold or flu; the center asks for both.
Official website: gz-zh.ch/gz-bachwiesen
GZ Loogarten, Altstetten
Same long season, open to four-year-olds
| DatesNov 15–Dec 13. Tue and Thu 2–5:30 p.m. and 7–9 p.m., Wed 2–5 p.m., Fri 2–5:30 p.m., Sat–Sun 2–4:30 p.m. | SettingIndoor (workshop) | EntryColored wax CHF 4/100 g, beeswax CHF 5/100 g |
| Best forAges 4+ | ||
Loogarten’s schedule runs almost parallel to Bachwiesen’s, but the minimum age is four instead of five, which matters if you have a preschooler. As at Bachwiesen, there’s no booking and room for 50, so expect the occasional short wait.
Children under seven need an adult with them. The workshop is reached through the center’s main entrance.
Good to know: You leave a CHF 5 cash deposit for your wick, which comes off the price when you pay. Have a coin or note ready.
Official website: gz-zh.ch/gz-loogarten
GZ Höngg
Nine days in the Kulturkeller, with a café and bar
| DatesNov 28–Dec 6. Sat 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Mon, Tue, and Thu 4–7 p.m., Wed 1–7 p.m., Fri 4–10 p.m. | SettingIndoor (Kulturkeller) | EntryCandles priced by weight, cash or Twint |
| Best forWeekend daytime for families | ||
Höngg packs its candle dipping into two weekends and the week between, in the community center’s Kulturkeller, and runs it with the local association IG Wartau. You choose between colored paraffin and golden beeswax, and decorating and carving are included in the price.
There’s a café and bar with food throughout, which makes it easy to stay a while. Saturday evenings have a DJ from 8 p.m., and Friday, December 4, is adults only from 8 to 10 p.m., so with kids, go during the day.
Good to know: Only school classes need to register. Everyone else can walk in.
Official website: gz-zh.ch/gz-hoengg
GZ Buchegg
Bookable two-hour slots, so no waiting at the door
| DatesDec 2–16. Wed–Fri 2–6 p.m., Sat–Sun 11 a.m.–5 p.m. | SettingIndoor (atelier) | EntryParaffin CHF 4/100 g (minimum CHF 4 per candle), beeswax CHF 5/100 g |
| Best forFamilies who like a plan | ||
Buchegg is the only city community center on this list where everyone books. Each online ticket gives you a two-hour slot in the atelier at Bucheggstrasse 93, which is just about the right amount of time for a thin candle. Monday and Tuesday are reserved for school classes.
The upside is that you know you’ll get in. The downside is that slots go fast and there’s a waitlist. There’s also one evening a week for adults 16 and up.
Good to know: Registration opens on Wednesday, November 4, at 10 a.m. Set a reminder.
Official website: gz-zh.ch/gz-buchegg
GZ Affoltern
Take a number, wait in the café, play games on weekends
| DatesDec 2–16. Wed 2–5 p.m. and 6:30–9:30 p.m., Thu, Sat, and Sun 2–5 p.m. | SettingIndoor (basement atelier and wood workshop) | EntryColored wax CHF 3.50/100 g, beeswax CHF 5/100 g, cash or Twint | StrollerBasement level |
| Best forPreschool and up | |||
Affoltern doesn’t take registrations at all. You arrive, take a number, and wait in the Kafi-Treff, which is open during every session. When it’s busy, there’s a limit of one candle per person.
On Saturdays and Sundays there are games in the hall, which helps a lot if one sibling finishes long before the other.
Good to know: The workshop is in the basement. Groups can book exclusive sessions separately.
Official website: gz-zh.ch/gz-affoltern
GZ Heuried, Wiedikon
The cheapest wax in town, in one-hour booked slots
| DatesDec 2–17. Afternoons 1:30–5:30 p.m. | SettingIndoor (workshop) | EntryColored wax CHF 3.20/100 g, beeswax CHF 4.80/100 g, plus CHF 1 per wick |
| Best forShort attention spans | ||
Heuried runs 16 days of candle dipping in the workshop at Döltschiweg 130, with afternoons for the public and mornings for school classes and groups. You book a one-hour slot online, one per person per day. An hour is short for a full candle, but it suits kids who are done after 45 minutes anyway.
If you don’t show up within 15 minutes, your spot goes to someone else. On days that aren’t fully booked, you can try your luck on site, but there’s no guarantee.
Good to know: Booking opens in mid-November. Thursdays, December 3, 10, and 17, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. are for adults only, if you want an evening to yourself.
Official website: gz-zh.ch/gz-heuried
Candle dipping in Canton Zurich
Uto Kulm, Uetliberg
Candle dipping on the mountain, combined with a winter outing
| DatesNov 7, 2026–Jan 3, 2027. Sat noon–8:15 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.–6:15 p.m., plus holiday openings | SettingIndoor (hotel rooms) | EntryCHF 5.50/100 g including wick |
| Best forFamilies making a day of it | ||
The hotel at the top of the Uetliberg runs candle dipping on weekends from early November into the new year, in two of its event rooms. You book a 45-minute slot online. According to the hotel, a candle takes 20 to 30 minutes, so this is the quickest format on the list and works well for young kids.
It’s an easy add-on to a walk on the Uetliberg, and you can combine it with lunch or a group Christmas meal at the hotel.
Good to know: No walk-ins. It’s also open on holidays: December 8 (10 a.m.–6:15 p.m.), December 24 and 25 (10 a.m.–5:15 p.m.), January 1 and 2 (noon–8:15 p.m.), and January 3 (10 a.m.–6:15 p.m.). Groups of 21 or more book through the hotel’s banquet team.
Official website: utokulm.ch/kerzenziehen
Reformierte Kirche Uster
Candle dipping with a fairy-tale tent and story times
| DatesNov 7–21. Mon–Fri 2–6 p.m., Sat–Sun 1–6 p.m., Wed also 6–8 p.m. | SettingIndoor | EntryColored wax CHF 5.20/100 g, beeswax (60%) CHF 6/100 g |
| Best forToddlers to early school age | ||
Uster’s church candle dipping in the parish center at Zentralstrasse 38/40 has the best setup for families with very young kids. On Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m., there’s a fairy-tale tent with crafts and stories at 3 and 4 p.m., so a toddler who’s not ready for hot wax still has something to do.
There are drinks, snacks, and cake, and a craft stand. Proceeds go to projects in Ghana, among others.
Good to know: It starts early and finishes early, on November 21. With a Kultur Legi card, one candle up to 200 g costs CHF 1.
Official website: refuster.ch/kerzenziehen
Kloten (VFK)
A long-running local tradition, with a kids-only Wednesday
| DatesNov 14–Dec 2. Tue, Thu, Fri 4–7 p.m., Wed 2–6 p.m., Sat–Sun 10 a.m.–6 p.m., closed Mon | SettingIndoor (basement) | EntryParaffin CHF 3.50/100 g, beeswax CHF 5.10/100 g, minimum CHF 3 per candle | StrollerBasement of Zentrum Schluefweg |
| Best forWeekends for families; Wednesdays for kids in 1st grade and up | |||
The Vereinigung Freizeit Kloten has run candle dipping since 1976, in its rooms in the basement of Zentrum Schluefweg. There’s no booking. On busy days there can be a short entry stop, and the organizers say Tuesdays and Thursdays are usually quieter.
Wednesday afternoon is “Kidsday,” for children in first grade and up without parents. With younger kids, go on a weekend. On Saturday, November 21, the long candle night runs from 6 to 10 p.m. with soup and mulled wine.
Good to know: Unfinished candles can stay in the candle depot for free, with a CHF 5 cash deposit per hook. Cash is preferred, but cards and Twint work for the candles.
Official website: vfk-kloten.ch
Kerzenziehen Wetzikon
Ten days in a tent, with long opening hours
| DatesDec 2–12. Daily 1–9 p.m., Sat–Sun from noon, Dec 12 until 3 p.m. | SettingTent | EntryParaffin CHF 4.20/100 g, beeswax CHF 5/100 g |
| Best forAll ages | ||
Wetzikon’s candle dipping runs in a tent at Langfurrenstrasse 2, organized by the association KulturFeld and the local Free Evangelical Church. It’s open into the evening every day, which makes it one of the easier ones to fit around a working week.
Mornings are reserved for school classes and groups. The Kafi-Ecke has warm drinks, cake, and snacks. By the organizers’ estimate, a thin 20 cm candle weighs about 100 g, so it costs about CHF 4 to 5.
Good to know: Take bus 857, 858, or 859 to “Friedhof.” There’s also plenty of parking.
Official website: kerzenziehen-wetzikon.ch
Before you go
- Dress everyone in old clothes, and tie back long hair.
- Bring cash or Twint. Some places don’t take cards.
- Budget about CHF 4 to 6 per thin candle.
- Plan one to two hours for a thin candle, and expect kids to lose interest before the candle is done.
- Bring a bag or a shoebox to carry warm candles home.
- Check the age rules. Some community centers don’t admit kids under four or five, and most want preschoolers with an adult.
- Book ahead where it’s required: GZ Buchegg (from November 4, 10 a.m.), GZ Heuried (from mid-November), and Uto Kulm.
- Go on a weekday afternoon if you can. Weekends get busy, and you may wait at the door.
- With a baby, a carrier is easier than a stroller in a crowded workshop.
- Stay home if anyone’s sick. Several places ask for this.
