Zurich Affoltern: Spring flowers and face-painted warriors

It doesn't matter how long we have been in Zurich. The mesmerisation I feel when the spring flowers return to the meadows never weakens. From one day to the next, the meadows skirting the city become willowy explosions of colour - like they have been spray painted in shades of pink, purple, white and yellow. There are daisies and dandelions, thistles and orchids. After this year's transformation - such enchantment - we couldn't resist a few longer weekend walks.

One outing took us along the Katzensee lake and past the vineyards above nearby hamlet Watt. Here, high above Zurich Affoltern, we enjoyed a cool breeze and views over the so-called Rebberg to the snow-topped Alps. Another day we ventured further, stumbling upon the Altburg, a crumbling 11th-century castle tucked between Zurich Affoltern and Regensdorf. Steps battling with greenery took us up into a secluded, sun-kissed courtyard surrounding the castle, where we met with a group of face-painted warriors and a sword thrust into the ground. Chilling ... it was only on our way back out that we saw a lorry marked 'film crew'.