Any recommendations for sights in and around Basel, Switzerrland

We will be doing a river cruise that starts in Basel and will be getting there a few days prior. Any recommendations of things to see in and around the area? Already booked an excursion to Lucerne and Mt. Pilatus...looking for something else as well.

Hi. Lois,

First of all, Switzerland isn't part of the EU, though that is of no consequence to you.

What is if consequence is that it's a signatory of the Schengen Agreement, so travel between Switzerland &

Germany & France & most of mainland Europe is hassle-free. :)

Your day in Lucerne & up Mt Pilatus well be brilliant. :)

Guessing you'll be going by train. You can buy your steamer / rack-railway / cablecars / bus "Golden Tour" tickets at the station.

The steamer pier is close by, and the bus stop is right outside the station. You can take the tour in either direction - when you buy your tickets ask advice on which way round to go.

Most folk start with the steamer, so that way round tends to busier.

Bus first gets you to the top quickest if the weather looks like it might be closing in, steamer first if it's cloudy but looks like it'll lift later.

The stop halfway up the cable-car route (where you switch between the little cars and the large gondola) is mainly for those doing activities but it's still worth stopping off.

At the top be sure to take a shortish path or two round or through the mountain for the view from the other side.

When you return from the tour walk over the bridge & turn left & along the bank of the river. Attractive walk, plenty of watering holes.

If you're unlucky & the weather is poor when you arrive, explore Lucerne first & leave Pilatus as late as you can in the hope that it'll clear.

For another day would you consider renting a car?

Normally no problem taking a car out of the country for the day but do check.

I can recommend a drive through Germany's Black Forest (Schwarzwald) mainly on route 500, a well-known scenic road but not busy.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Basle,+Switzerland/Baden-Baden,+Germany/Basel,+Switzerland/@48.0778944,7.4149611,9z/data=!4m55!4m54!1m40!1m1!1s0x479049c72769304f:0x361ceb70f36d8a90!2m2!1d7.5885761!2d47.5595986!3m4!1m2!1d7.6658323!2d47.5342748!3s0x4791b7b22be4b57b:0x568ebb414b578e59!3m4!1m2!1d7.753682!2d47.5439431!3s0x4791b44cf9e08a73:0xfc5bb0fe8e5efa96!3m4!1m2!1d7.8569545!2d47.5905626!3s0x47904c95bab27f4d:0x3167967d6cf3ec6e!3m4!1m2!1d8.2566416!2d47.6251223!3s0x47906875fabfb465:0x607ba979fafb1cd2!3m4!1m2!1d8.1610121!2d47.952303!3s0x4790efd8272c5f51:0x201bf8ef1d094455!3m4!1m2!1d8.2059234!2d48.064725!3s0x4790e8ffbea3ee1b:0x62fe71fea41b1b6!3m4!1m2!1d8.3120823!2d48.3966336!3s0x4790cce6b1a665b7:0xeacf4cdb2902a072!1m5!1m1!1s0x47971f4391f73145:0x630f291933f3c5c1!2m2!1d8.2285242!2d48.76564!1m5!1m1!1s0x479049c72769304f:0x361ceb70f36d8a90!2m2!1d7.5885761!2d47.5595986!3e0

Googlemaps has this route at 6hrs 36, so best to drive it anti-clockwise thro' the Black Forest heading for Baden Baden but if the clock is beating you, cut across to the fast A5 Autobahn sooner (lots of forest roads to do that) for the return to Basel.

The first part of this route starts off broadly following the Rhine upstream before crossing it into Germany and up into the Black Forest, but there are many many alternative routes, all pretty scenic.

Do try to include the Falls at Triber (Triberger Wasserfalle) though it involves a short hike.

(It's possible to see much of the Black Forest by train, by switching to secondary train routes at Freiburg or Rastatt)

Consider taking the train to Interlaken or beyond to Grindelwald in the shadow of the Eiger, then the Jungfraujoch railway which takes you up through the Eiger to the "Top of Europe".

https://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/jungfraujoch-top-of-europe/

But be warned - it's a very expensive trip and if it's cloudy or foggy you'll see nothing at the top. (same can apply to Pilatus, but much less likely)

JB :)

You can take the train to Freibourg in Germany and see the Black Forest. It's a gorgeous tiny town! I loved my visit there. I also really enjoyed Basel - it's a nice city to walk around.