The Socializing Challenge: Lack of Pubs in Small Towns and  Villages of Kanton Zug

 

The Pub That Never Was: Life Without a Local in Kanton Zug

In Kanton Zug — a place of prosperity, calm streets, and mountain views — something simple but deeply human is missing. Outside the city of Zug, in the smaller towns and villages, there isn’t a single real pub. Not one.

Take Steinhausen, for example: not even a classic bar exists, let alone a cozy pub where you could drink a proper Guinness, sip a decent whisky, listen to some rock music, and watch a football match in good company — and still walk home afterwards. Instead, you have to catch the bus or even the train to Zug city just to have a normal night out. As people jokingly say, you can’t even get properly drunk in your own town anymore.

The old Beizli — those traditional Swiss taverns — were never pubs in the British sense. They were quiet, family-run places, more about conversation than celebration. But even those are disappearing or transforming into sleek, expensive restaurants where an ordinary glass of whisky can cost as much as dinner. The warmth and informality of the Beiz are being replaced by linen napkins, reservation systems, and menus in four languages.

Meanwhile, new openings in the smaller towns are mostly Asian and kebab places — efficient, but soulless. They fill stomachs, not hearts. There’s no music, no laughter from the next table, no easy way to meet your neighbors.

This absence goes beyond nightlife. Without pubs or casual gathering spots, social connections weaken. People stay home, community life thins out, and the small towns of Zug become quieter — too quiet.

A proper pub in these towns wouldn’t just sell drinks; it would serve as a social anchor. A place where locals could unwind, talk, listen to some rock, watch a game, and walk home safely afterwards.

In a canton that has everything — banks, trains, and breathtaking order — maybe the only thing it truly lacks is somewhere to raise a glass, share a laugh, and remember that life is meant to be lived together.
And perhaps it’s also time for the municipal leaders to think about this — and realize that a healthy community isn’t built only with budgets and regulations, but also with places where people simply feel alive.