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Basel's advantageous position makes not only the mountains of Switzerland easily accessible but several lovely spots in France and Germany too. Here are some popular online resources used by the ISB community:
HIKING IDEAS
Check out the links below to find out amazing hiking routes in Switzerland and neighbouring areas
CYCLING IDEAS
Take your bike on spectacular mountain trails or cycle around 12,000 km of signposted cycling paths
This is a great getaway both in the summer and winter. Depending on where you live in Basel, it is only a 30-40 minute car ride away. A cable car from Reigoldswil can take you to the top of Wasserfallen or you can choose to hike up. It's about a 2-hour hike. On the top, there are play areas for kids, zip lining and other other outdoor fun. There is also a restaurant at the top. On your way down, you can even rent scooters and zip down the curvy mountain lanes if you like some more excitement.
Just a short car ride away, the Augusta Raurica can be a great day out for the family if you want to walk around and explore some ancient Roman ruins. It has the best preserved ancient theatre north of the Alps among various other Roman sights. The annual festival here is a great time to visit because it is when history comes alive with gladiators, chariot rides, ancient Roman games and food.
Lake Lucerne is a great place to head to when you are looking for some vibes amidst the Swiss mountains. The Lucerne lido has 300 m of sandy beach, shady lawn areas, a heated swimming pool and a playground. It's a perfect day, especially for families with young kids.
One of the top tourist highlights in Switzerland is only a little over an hour away. It has the steepest cogwheel train in the world to take you to the top of the mountain. There are many mountain adventures you can enjoy including hiking, zip lining or hopping into their aerial cablecars to enjoy some of the stunning scenery. Find out more on this link.
Lake Oeschinen may take a little effort to get to, but it is all worth it. Recognized as a Unesco World Heritage site, it is a pristine turquoise-blue mountain lake that offers breathtaking views. Around the lake, there are several picnic benches set up for you to enjoy nature's stunning beauty as you eat your sandwiches. There is also a Rodelbahn in the surrounding mountain area for you to enjoy a run down through the beautiful landscape.
TECHNORAMA (SWISS SCIENCE CENTER)
An interactive science museum, it makes for a great family day out engaging and participating in a host of experiments which bring to life various scientific concepts and natural phenomena in a fun and exciting manner. It has over 500 experiment stations and is one of the largest science museums in the world. Unlike a typical museum, Technorama wants you to touch and interact with everything they have. Makes it perfect for curious kids and parents who don't have to keep telling their kids not to touch things in a museum.
This is another great hiking spot with the family about a 30-40 drive away from Basel. At a height of 700 m, this spot offers some great views all around. There is also a Swiss restaurant where you can lunch while enjoying the views. On the top, there are walking trails in the surrounding forest and also the Sissacherfluh castle ruins that can be explored.
Another popular tourist highlight that isn't too far away for a day trip. Apart from watching the most powerful waterfall in Europe, the area has several other fun activities for the family from boat rides to treetop adventures.
One of the best things about being in Basel is how easily one can hop across the border to France and Germany just for a day. Colmar is a lovely little French town in the Alsace wine region. The town looks right out of a fairy tale and is a great place to wander through its cobbled streets and soak in all the pretty homes and stores. If you plan well, you could combine it with some wine tasting along the way. The Colmar Christmas market in December is worth a visit.
How lucky are we to have a theme park we can go to just for the day! Europa Park in Rust, Germany is always a great weekend option when you want to get some adrenalin rush or want your kids to burn up some of their boundless energy.
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