Friendly Hostel Zurich

Friendly Hostel sits on Strehlgasse, a quiet medieval lane between Bahnhofstrasse and the Limmat, in the corner of Niederdorf that nobody else thinks to look. Three minutes' walk to Bahnhofstrasse (Zurich's main drag), four to Paradeplatz (the central square), six to the lake at Bürkliplatz, and seven to Hauptbahnhof. This is the most central budget address in Zurich — closer to the heart of the city than any of the other hostels on this list, including Otter and Green Marmot. The trade-off: it's a small operation (under 30 beds), no bar, no organized social events, no breakfast, and the building is upper-floors-by-stairs only (no elevator above the ground floor).

The headline feature is the terrace. Friendly has a fourth-floor terrace with proper city views — Old Town rooftops, the Limmat in the distance, the church spires. Most rooms have city views as well (Strehlgasse rooflines, the Lindenhof hill across the way), and the building has the kind of late-19th-century Zurich character that the bigger hostels (Jugendherberge, Green Marmot) don't have. Self-catering is partial: there's a microwave, refrigerator, electric kettle, and coffee machine but no stovetop, so you can heat and chill but you can't cook. For real meals, the Migros at Bahnhof Selnau (5 min walk) is the closest grocery, and the lakeside Sternen Grill is 6 min if you want the late-night Zurich classic.

Dorms are small (4, 6, 8 beds), bathrooms are shared by floor, and the showers are hardwood-floor old-Zurich style (clean, slightly cramped). The hostel has key access (no 24-hour reception, but the staff is reachable), daily housekeeping, free Wi-Fi, and a small lounge area for evenings.

Pros: the most central Old Town address in Zurich, terrace with city view (the rooftop-style feature is real), EUR 48 nights in the most expensive part of the city, female dorm option for solo women travelers. Cons: no elevator above ground floor (stairs to the 4th floor with luggage), partial kitchen (no stovetop, no full self-catering), no bar, no breakfast, no 24-hour reception (key access only).