Events & Parties in Hinwil

Hinwil surprises. This district capital between Pfäffikersee and Bachtel mountain is home to the Audi F1 Team, hosts Switzerland's largest medieval festival and has a bar scene you wouldn't expect. In the Zurich Oberland, rural charm meets industrial nightlife.

Hinwil – Between Formula 1 and the Middle Ages

Formula 1 cars are developed here and knights fight for honour – Hinwil lives on contrasts. The community at the foot of the Bachtel (1,115m) combines farms and high-tech, brass bands and motorsport. Since Peter Sauber founded his racing car workshop here, Hinwil has been known worldwide. But the true heart beats in the bars of Wasserstrasse and at carnival.

Bars & Nightlife

Wasserstrasse is Hinwil's going-out strip:

• D-Garage – The motorcycle bar on Wasserstrasse. Since 2021, bike fans and night owls meet here among fuel pumps and motorcycles. Live music, DJs and American-style food.
• Bar Route 66 – Cosy, uncomplicated, open until 2am. The locals' regular on Hintere Wasserstrasse.
• The Game Bar Lounge & Billard – Pool tables, lounge atmosphere and good drinks.
• Vecchia Posta – The wine bar in the village centre right by the Wildbach stream. Mediterranean cuisine and a charming terrace.

Gastro Classics:

• Restaurant Freihof – Over 45 varieties of cordon bleu. Yes, forty-five. An institution.
• Gasthof Hirschen – Historic inn with the Hirschensaal as the community's most important event hall (up to 300 for concerts).

Culture & Events

Hinwil has a packed events calendar:

• Mittelalterspektakel (May/June) – Switzerland's largest medieval festival at Bauernhof Erlosen. Around 1,000 participants, jousting tournaments by day and night with fire, jesters, falconers and a market with 100 stalls. An experience from another time.
• Hinwil Fasnacht (February) – FAKOHI organises a full programme: children's masked ball, twilight parade at 5:17pm, monster concert with brass bands and masked ball in the evening.
• Kultur Hadlikon – Monthly cinema and culture evenings at Areal im Tobel for over 15 years. At cost price, with bar and popcorn. Grassroots culture at its finest.
• Art Exhibition at Gemeindehaus – Annual exhibition of local artists in autumn. Free admission.

Markets:

• Christmas Market – In December on the Gemeindeplatz.
• Viehschau – Traditional cattle show in October.
• Chilbi – The village fair in autumn.

Popular Districts

Wasserstrasse (Industrial Zone): This is where nightlife pulses. D-Garage, Route 66, The Game and more make this industrial street a surprising going-out district. Bowling at Hiwi too.

Village Centre: Around Zürichstrasse and Gemeindeplatz. Vecchia Posta, Gasthof Hirschen and the carnival parade form the traditional heart.

Hadlikon: The cultural quarter in the outer district. Monthly events at Areal im Tobel – a local institution.

Erlosen: The rural outer district that becomes the stage for the medieval festival once a year.

What Makes Hinwil Special?

Hinwil is a place of contrasts: the future of Formula 1 is built here while the Middle Ages are celebrated. The bar scene on Wasserstrasse feels like a little piece of Berlin in the Zurich Oberland. Add the Bachtel as local mountain with observation tower and panorama restaurant, Pfäffikersee for nature lovers, and a carnival that impresses with twilight parades and monster concerts. Zurich is 30 S-Bahn minutes away – but in Hinwil you find what the city lacks: genuine village culture with an urban twist.