Zurich red-light: Langstrasse and the law

01Is there a red‑light district in Zurich?

Not one single district. The city names three street zones where street and window work is allowed, each at set hours. All other public ground is closed to street work (PGVO Art. 7). Most of the trade sits indoors, in clubs and studios.

Street and window work means work on public ground, or work that people can see from public ground (PGVO Art. 6). Indoor venues fall under the salon rules instead.

02The three legal street zones: the law in brief

• Niederdorf (Kreis 1): the old-town area between Seilergraben, Neumarkt, Rindermarkt, Marktgasse and Limmatquai. Street work 22:00 to 02:00, window work 19:00 to 05:00.
• Allmendstrasse: from the southern motorway exit towards Zurich (Brunau car park, under the motorway bridge) to the level of the Sihlcity car-park spiral. 19:00 to 05:00.
• Depotweg Strichplatz (Kreis 9, Altstetten): Sunday to Thursday 18:30 to 02:00, Friday and Saturday 19:30 to 03:00. The gate is closed outside these hours.

03Langstrasse and Kreis 4: famous, but not a legal street zone

Langstrasse in Kreis 4 is Zurich's best-known nightlife street and its former red-light street. It is not a legal street zone today. The city's zone list names no zone in Kreis 4.

In January 2025 the city parliament voted 88 to 20 for a postulate that asks for a legal street zone at Langstrasse. The city council has two years to report, so a report is due about January 2027. On 3 October 2026 the official list still has three zones.

04Depotweg in Altstetten: what the city runs there

Depotweg is a fenced site with twelve boxes: eight for cars and four smaller ones with beds. It also has four places for the workers' own mobile homes^{† (box count: one source checked)}.

Under the city's site rules only vehicles may enter; pedestrians may not^{† (one source checked)}.

On site there is information and advice, health checks, testing for sexually transmitted infections, toilets, showers and crisis help^{† (one source checked)}.

The site opened in August 2013, when the Sihlquai street zone closed. It may stay at Depotweg until 2030. A tram depot is planned there, and the new location is still open^{† (one source checked)}.

05Niederdorf: the old-town zone

Niederdorf is the only zone with window work. Street work runs 22:00 to 02:00, window work 19:00 to 05:00. One Niederdorf club says it has been open since 1931 and opens daily from noon to 05:00^{† (one source checked)}.

06Clubs and studios: where we send you

Most of the trade is indoors. Our listings show clubs in Kreis 1 (Niederdorf), Kreis 2, Kreis 3 around Weststrasse and Kreis 11 (Oerlikon), plus sauna clubs in the towns around the city. In Kreis 3 around Weststrasse, two clubs and a massage studio are a few minutes' walk apart.

A brothel needs a city salon permit (PGVO Art. 11). A place with up to two rooms and at most one further person is exempt (PGVO Art. 11 Abs. 2). A street worker needs a personal city permit (PGVO Art. 8).

07What a visitor can be fined for

The fine is not only for the worker. A client who asks for or uses street services outside a zone, or outside its hours, can be fined too (PGVO Art. 17 Abs. 1 lit. a). In light cases a reprimand can replace the fine (PGVO Art. 17 Abs. 2). The ordinance sets no amount.

08Help and advice

• Fachstelle Frauenhandel und Frauenmigration in Zurich: advice on trafficking and for migrant women
• ACT212, the national hotline to report suspected trafficking, anonymously if you want^{† (one source checked)}
• Die Dargebotene Hand, crisis line at any hour: 143
• Opferhilfe Schweiz, help for victims of a crime: 142^{† (one source checked)}