Discovering near Basel + hiking in Gempen
Gempen (Swiss German Dialekt: Gämpe) is an area close to Basel city and it belongs to canton Solothurn. It is 22 km from Basel City. There are several paths to hike to Gempen plateau. You can either start from Dornach or Arlesheim to hike there. Depending on which route you choose, it takes 1.5 to 4 hours to arrive at the plateau. It is an easy hike with nice scenery.
Last time we tried the Arlesheim, followed the Arlesheim Hermitage, and we ended up in Gempenturm. Gempenturm (Gempen tower) is an observation tower on the Gempen plateau. When you arrive at the Gempenturm, it offers you a view of Baselland, Basel area, Vosges in France and black forest in Germany. This makes the area popular and special. If you would like to enjoy the view more, you can also climb the observation tower. The tower has 5 floors and it is 28 metres high. You can enjoy the view top of the tower. Important Tips: Bring the coin 1 CHF with you to enter the tower 😉
To note
- pick a hiking route one which is interesting for you.
- If you don’t want to hike, it is possible to achieve the area by car, free parking available.
- There is no direct public transportation to the area, but you can take bus number 67 from Dornach to Gempen Dorf and then you need to walk approximately 15 min. to Gemphenturm.
- you must have CHF 1 coins for the tower – no change.
- The sunset is definitely worth to see from the top.
Check Wikipedia to see some details of the tower, such as photos of Entrance, Stairs and Viewing platform. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gempenturm
