10 EXCITING DAY TRIPS FROM BASEL!

We have officially lived in Switzerland for an entire year as of October 2! It has honestly flown by but, strangely feels like it has been longer than a year. We have been able to see so much of Switzerland and its’ neighboring countries already. But, there is so much more to see! One of our favorite ways to travel around the three-country region is by taking day trips on the train. So, I thought it was time to put together a list of 10 exciting day trips from Basel, which are all under 90 miles or 145 kilometers.

1. Solothurn, Switzerland – 45 miles from Basel

Solothurn is known as the most beautiful Baroque town in Switzerland, and I would have to agree. It is full of gorgeous Baroque architecture. Solothurn also has a connection with the number 11. The canton of Solothurn is listed as the 11th canton with the Swiss Confederation. Solothurn has 11 churches, 11 fountains, and 11 towers. There is also a clock that only has 11 numbers. Make sure to check out the clock show which plays the Solothurn song on 11 bells!

2. Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany – 45 miles from Basel

Freiburg im Breisgau is on the edge of the Black Forest in Germany. It is a beautiful medieval town with a gorgeous cathedral. While you are walking around Freiburg, make sure to look down to see the Bächle, which are water runnels fed by the Dreisam River that date back to the 12th century. The Bächle provided Freiburg with water for drinking, as well as for fighting fires.

3. Colmar (& Kaysersberg), France – 52 miles from Basel

Colmar and Kaysersberg are both extremely charming with their cobblestone streets and colorful, half-timbered homes. Both of these towns are located in the Alsace region in northeastern France. And, they are both along the Alsace wine route.

While in Kaysersberg, we definitely recommend the short but steep hike up to the Imperial Castle. It was built around 1200 to form a barrier to the routes coming from Lorraine. At the top, there are beautiful views of the French countryside. Once your hike is complete, walk around the quaint village and take in the charm!

Colmar is about 20 minutes from Kaysersberg. It is a larger town, but it is still filled with lots of charm. We enjoyed the Petit train along with exploring Musee Hansi and Little Venice.

4. Zurich, Switzerland – 55 miles from Basel

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland, and it lies on the north end of Lake Zurich. We loved wandering around this city and exploring Alstadt, or Old Town.

We have lots more to explore in Zurich, but we can definitely recommend visiting the Lindt Home of Chocolate, which is about 20 minutes from the main Zurich train station in Kilchberg. The girls and I even transformed into chocolatiers during our chocolate course! We started our time at Lindt by checking out the chocolate tour, which is an interactive journey through chocolate making with lots of delicious tastings! Afterwards, we made our own chocolate teddies in the chocolate course!

5. Haut-Koenigsbourg in Orschwiller, France – 57 miles from Basel

Haut-Koenigsbourg is a beautiful castle in France with records dating back to 1147! It was originally listed as a fortress, but the name was changed to Koenigsbourg (Royal Castle) in 1157. The castle was burned to the ground in 1633 during the Thirty Year War. The ruins were then abandoned for about 200 years, and it was restored by Kaiser Willhelm II from 1900-1908. We all loved exploring this incredible castle!

6. Schaffhausen (& Rhine Falls), Switzerland – 60 miles from Basel

Emma and I explored Schaffhausen during our mommy/daughter overnight trip. The medieval town of Schaffhausen is beautiful, and we really enjoyed walking around the cobblestone streets while looking at the Baroque buildings. We also hopped on the Rhyfall Express (mini train), and we were able to see the sights in the town as well as visit the Rhine Falls!

We also visited the Rhine Falls as one of our first day trips as a family during October 2020. These falls are approximately 15,000 years old, and they are the largest waterfalls in Europe. There are two sides to the waterfalls – Neuhausen Rhinefall and Schloss Laufen. During our first visit, we took the train to the Neuhausen side and then crossed by boat to the other, which cost 3 CHF per adult and 2 CHF per child. There is also a Grand Tour photo spot on the Schloss Laufen side, but it does cost more to access the panoramic trail.

7. Bern, Switzerland – 65 miles from Basel

Bern is the capital of Switzerland, and it is named after the German word for bear (bär). One of the main tourist attractions is to visit the bear pit, or Barengraben, which has been a tourist attraction since 1857. The girls and I visited Bern in December and unfortunately the bears had gone inside for the season! We will have to go back to see the bears and the rest of the sites! But, we were able to enjoy walking around the beautiful old town! We even stumbled across a Christmas Market behind the Berner Münster (Bern Cathedral).

8. Lucerne, Switzerland – 65 miles from Basel

Lucerne is a stunning city known for its’ medieval architecture. We visited Lucerne last fall, and we arrived to lots of fog. Once the fog lifted, the snow-capped mountains in the distance along Lake Lucerne were breathtaking.

During our day in Lucerne, we visited Europe’s oldest wood covered bridge (Chapel Bridge), the Lion Monument, and the old town. The Lion Monument is actually a memorial signifying the 1,000 lives lost to the Swiss guards in Paris trying to protect Louis XVI on August 10, 1972.

9. Stein-am-Rhein, Switzerland – 71 miles from Basel

Stein-am-Rhein is known for its’ well preserved Old Town! Rathausplatz is the main square, and it contains half-timbered homes with painted facades. The painted facades are beautiful, and you could spend hours looking at all of the paintings. The old town area is a pedestrian zone so it is a great place to bring kids! We also enjoyed a delicious dinner at one of the restaurants along the Rhine river!

10. Strasbourg, France – 85 miles from Basel

Strasbourg is the capital of the Grand Est region, which was formerly Alsace, and it also houses the European Parliament. Strasbourg is well known for the La Petite neighborhood which contains different colored, half-timbered homes lined along beautiful canals.

During our day trip, we also enjoyed a ride on the Petit train and walking through the Strasbourg Cathedral (Notre Dame). Strasbourg has a very interesting history due to its’ proximity to the German border. The region has changed French and German control several times throughout history which has led to a German influence of the region.

We hope you love these exciting day trips from Basel as much as we have loved visiting them! We have truly enjoyed exploring each of these places, and we would absolutely visit them again! Where are you heading on your next day trip? Thank you so much for wandering along with us!