Zürich IT professional swims through city moat to commute

Mischa Gurov, an IT professional living in Zürich, has adopted an unconventional commute by swimming through the city’s Schanzengraben, a former fortification moat. Since moving to the city in 2019, Gurov has opted to swim the final 1.35 kilometers of his journey to work to avoid crowded public transport.

Using an underwater camera during recent commutes, Gurov documented the aquatic life and hidden structures within the canal. His footage revealed fish and old stone walls that remain largely invisible to pedestrians and commuters above ground. With the assistance of the local waste and water protection organization, Entsorgung + Recycling Zürich (ERZ), Gurov identified a large fish in his footage as a rare brown trout.

The presence of these trout serves as an indicator of the water quality in the Schanzengraben, as the species requires clean, cool, and oxygen-rich environments to thrive. Gurov noted that the experience highlights how nature can exist in urban settings, often unnoticed beneath the bridges people cross daily.