Basel by bike: the best cycle tours

The city of Basel has a dense network of cycle routes. Red cycleway signs are good starting points for more extensive outings – numerous attractive cycleways run from Basel through tranquil countryside and places of cultural significance. You can easily hire an e-bike at our hotel, or bring your own bike with you to Basel. It will be stored safely and securely in the hotel's own bike park. So that you can discover as much of the city as possible during your stay, we've put together a selection of the best cycle tours around Basel.

Cycle tour through Basel: cultural history on the move

If you want to discover the city's most important tourist attractions, a circular tour by bike is the ideal option. The best starting point for a cycle tour is Basel's Marktplatz, which is right next to the hotel. You can then ride past Basel Minster, the city's landmark, and through the picturesque district of St. Alban out to the old city wall. After that, it's on to Birsfelden Lock and Switzerland's tallest skyscraper, the Roche Tower. Another architectural highlight is the border triangle building, which in the warm summer months features its own sand oasis where you can linger for a while. The cycle tour through Basel continues via the idyllic St. Johann Park before returning to Basel's Marktplatz.

Good to know: Guided cycle tours through the city are available under the name "Basel by bike". Tours last around two and a half hours.

Small three-country cycleway from Basel

On this cycle tour, you can discover the diversity of the area where three countries meet, and ride through Switzerland, France and Germany. The route begins in Basel, and you initially follow the south bank of the Rhine until you reach the lowest point of Baselland – the Birsköpfli. The transition from city canton to country canton takes place seamlessly on this cycle tour. In Birsfelden, you can make a detour to the power station island, from where you can view the Basel skyline. There are countless hydroelectric plants along the Rhine, such as those in Märkt and Kembs.

The cycle tour in and around Basel continues past the Krebsbachtal nature reserve. This green space covers 23 hectares and is home to countless animal and plant species. The cycleway then follows the Huningue Canal until you reach the "Parc des Eaux-Vives" white-water park in Huningue, Alsace, where you can take a well-earned break. From there, you finally return to the bank of the Rhine, which takes you back to the starting point of your cycle tour – Basel.

Our tip: although this cycle tour is around the Basel region, it runs through not only Switzerland but also France and Germany, so you should take your passport with you.

Rhine cycle route from Basel to Rheinfelden

This flat and pleasant bike tour starts as part of the 1,200 kilometre-long Rhine cycle route, which runs from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea in the Netherlands. It starts in Basel and follows the Rhine upstream along the foot of the Black Forest. If you cycle all of this section of the route, it takes you 110 kilometres from Basel to Schaffhausen. However, you can also pick out a particular section of this cycleway yourself.

With the Rhine as your constant companion, you travel along the border between Germany and Switzerland, passing numerous attractive towns with bridges over the Rhine, such as Rheinfelden, Bad Säckingen, Laufenburg, Waldshut and Hohentengen. There are numerous picnic spots, flower meadows and beer gardens along the way where you can stop for a while. A visit to Switzerland's largest brewery – Feldschlösschen in Rheinfelden – and a tour of the Roman settlement Augusta Raurica in Augst are also highly recommended. If you get as far as Schaffhausen, you can admire the impressive Rhine Falls as the culmination of your Basel bike tour. You also have the option of returning to Basel by train.

Cycle tour in Baselland: the Basel-Delémont tour

This pleasant day tour begins at Basel's main railway station. From there, you follow the signs to Münchenstein, Arlesheim and Dornach. In Dornach, you can visit the Goetheanum, an imposing building designed by Rodolf Steiner.

The cycleway from Basel which, after passing through residential and commercial districts, follows the river Birs, leads through many forests with numerous thematic trails and nature trails. In the picturesque town of Laufen, it's worth taking a little stroll around to catch your breath, before continuing to Delémont, your destination. In Delémont itself, a visit to the Prince-Bishops' Castle in the old town is recommended to round off this pleasant cycle tour.