Hiking the Dreiland Wanderweg: Summary
The Dreiland Wanderweg, Chemin des Trois Pays, or Three Country Trail (Trail 67) is a 43 km long, three-stage trail that explores the border triangle between Switzerland, Germany, and France. Along the way, this trail provides a varied tour including old town city views, country fields, small towns, vineyards, industrial areas, and riverside strolls.
All three stages can be done as single day hikes from Zürich but for various reasons we did the second stage over two days. Read on to find out more about what I recommend and what I thought the highlights of this trail were.
| Dreiland Wanderweg Overview DB Navigator app (German Train Tickets and Station Information) |
| The Dreiland Wanderweg, Chemin des Trois Pays, or Three Country Trail (Trail 67) is a 43 km long, three-stage trail that explores the border triangle between Switzerland, Germany, and France. Photo stories for each stage here: Stage 1 – Basel, Schifflände to Riehen, Hörnli Stage 2 – Riehen, Hörnli to Haltingen (Germany) Stage 3 – Haltingen (Germany) to Basel, Schifflände |
Best Views and Most Recommended Stage
Each stage had interesting views. Here are some of my favorites:
(1) Stage 1: The view from the hill of St. Margerethen. (2) Stage 1: The graffiti near St. Jakob-Park. (3) Stage 2: The church in St. Chrischona. (4) Stage 2: The fields heading down towards Riehen. (5) Stage 3: The Dreiland Bridge
However, there was one section of the hike that really stood out and that was the second half of Stage 2. The view over the vineyards back to Basel was my absolute favorite of the hike.
This part of stage 2 is part of a longer wine hike (the Markgräfler Wiiwegli long-distance wine trail), and it was so nice I may go back someday to do more of that trail.
Crossing the Borders – Germany, France, Switzerland
This trail is called the three country trail and that means crossing borders. Crossing the border though is just passing a sign on the path, so just a bit of fun and no hassle at all. When on the three country bridge (middle picture), you can stand on the border of France and Germany and look out at Switzerland.
Important Tips!
- Because you are crossing borders, it is recommended that you carry identification with you. We never needed it, but better to have it than not.
- Be sure to carry Euros and Francs with you. Some of the restaurants along the way only accept cash.
- For train tickets in Switzerland, use the SBB app. Tickets for the German portion of the trip between Basel Bad Bahnhoff to Haltingen, Germany can be bought at Basel Bad Bahnhoff station or the Haltingen, Germany station from a machine or online with the DB Navigator app.
Side stops?
We didn’t do a lot of side stops on this hike, but there are a few places worth mentioning.
(1) Stage 1: Basel old town city views including the City Hall building, the seat of the government and parliament for the canton of Basel-Stadt, and a farmer’s market at Marktplaz. (2) Stage 1: The water tower for the Batterieanlage, a military installation on the hill near the water tower (german). (3) Stage 3: The Dreiland Bridge
Basel looks like a fun city and we passed by a number of interesting looking museums and the zoo. It would be good to go back on a cold or rainy day that isn’t good for hiking.
Final Thoughts
I recommend this hike if you live in Basel and want to get a nice overview of the area. It is also a nice option for spring when high elevation hikes are closed, or for when you want to combine a hike with a city tour.
We ended our hike by relaxing at a cafe along the river, which was perfect (if a little overpriced) and I recommend doing that too.
