Switzerland’s green Frick Valley – hike the Fricktaler High Trail

Gentle hilly landscapes, blossoming fruit trees, sprawling vineyards – the Frick Valley near Basel in Switzerland is known far beyond its borders thanks to its lush natural landscapes. Nestled between the Rhine River and the Jura Mountains, it attracts many nature lovers and hikers year after year. Numerous long-distance trails lead through the region and in this Collection, I introduce you to the Fricktailer Höhenweg (Fricktaler High Trail).

This trail reveals the Frick Valley and its villages over five days. In total, you cover 60 kilometres (37 mi), with a daily distance of 10 - 15 kilometres (6.2 - 9.3 mi). As the paths are well maintained and thoughtfully routed, you don’t have too many climbs. Even less-experienced hikers can take on this hike. As well as using the detailed Tour descriptions in this Collection, you can follow the blue trail signs of the Fricktaler Lindenblatt.

So aside from wonderfully verdant nature, what else can you expect? You can pick fruit straight off the trees, marvel at vineyards, learn something new on an adventure trail and gaze upon magnificent panoramic views. As you won’t find many places to stop for refreshments en route, I recommend taking enough food with you. You’ll find plenty of rest areas to enjoy a break in peaceful landscapes.

Overnight accommodation is not plentiful on this route. That’s also partly the charm of the area – it’s completely untouched. Make sure you research in advance and reserve a bed in a neighbouring village if you can’t find a place to stay directly in the stage destination. I’ll give you more detailed tips on where and how to do this in the individual Tour descriptions.

The only thing left to do is to get there: Rheinfelden, the starting point of the hike, is easily accessible by train. The historic train station has several daily connections to Basel and Zurich. At the end of your adventure, you can catch the bus from Mettau to Laufenburg and take a train to Basel from there. In general, all the villages that you pass through are easily accessible by public transport, so you can always shorten your route.