Our personal travel and photo guide for Switzerland
The Rhein river (in English, Rhine) with a length of 1233 km is one of the biggest and most commercially used rivers in Europe. This blog covers the first 376 km from its source up to Basel and lots of diverse scenery.
We ask ourselves where exactly is the source, as there are many small rivers in Graubünden that contain the name Rhein. In literature there is the name ‘Vorderrhein’ and Tomasee which are near the Oberalp Pass and here is the place where there’s a lighthouse as a symbol of ‘the source’. From here, there’s a beautiful hike to the Maighels Hut where we had lunch and then continued on to the Tomasee. The whole area is really beautiful, especially at the end of June and in July when the pink alpine roses (a type of rhododendron) are blooming.
Further down the river at Ilanz, there’s another hidden valley on the way towards Vals. Lovers of architecture will appreciate the thermal bath in Vals. Our highlight was the Zervreilahorn, which we called the Matterhorn of Graubünden, and Lake Zervreila. We took the path from the chapel at the top of the beautiful turquoise lake to the Lampertschalp and had a laid back lunch in a deck chair enjoying the lovely scenery of cliffs, mountains, beautiful cows, and many waterfalls that form the Valser Rhein.
Just past Ilanz is a beautiful stretch of a 20 km long canyon. There are some great activities to do such as river rafting, canoeing or the scenic walk from Flims to Lake Cauma – a lake which is often voted the most beautiful lake in Switzerland – and ending at this view point called Il Spir. It’s definitely a true highlight of a visit to Switzerland.
Close to Chur another arm of the river, the Hinterrhein, flows together. Just a little way south towards the San Bernardino tunnel, the Hinterrhein has formed two beautiful gorges: the Via Mala Gorge and the Rofflach Gorge. The Rofflach Gorge is really cool with a man-made access with a tunnel right up to the beautiful waterfall and under it.
If you’re looking for an amazing fine-dining experience, we recommend you book a table well in advance at the restaurant Schloss Schauenstein, where you can enjoy Andreas Caminada's award winning cuisine. The Via Mala gorge is just a few minutes away from there.
Chur is the capital of Graubünden which is one of the oldest settlements in Switzerland and was also a strategic location for the Romans. They were the ones who introduced wine to the region now called Bündner Herrschaft. The area between Fläsch and Malans has a good climate and soil for the Pinot Noir grapes. It's also the home of the most famous Swiss girl: Heidi.
Not far from there at Sargans, the river flows through a narrow passage before the valley opens up into an area called the St Galler Rheintal. In early days this area was often flooded as the river often changed its course. This is why people started building a canal in the 19th century. If you want a good view of this valley we recommend taking the cable car up to the Hoher Kasten in Appenzell.
Close to Bregenz, the Rhein canal enters the Bodensee. A real treat and absolute highlight is dining at the restaurant Fernsicht in Heiden with a view down to the lake – you’ll need to book a table in advance. A short drive from there takes you to another viewpoint the Fünfländerblick (meaning view to 5 countries). The name comes from the 19th century when the lake bordered the then 5 different countries: Switzerland, Austria, Bayern, Baden and Württemberg. And the view over to the other end of the lake is amazing too, especially at sunset.
We were really surprised to find no crowds along the shore, even during summer holiday season. It could be because people can spread out with so many beautiful swimming places and campsites to choose from. We rented a canoe at the campground Seehorn in Egnach and paddled towards Arbon. Aaron managed to capsize which was pretty funny 😊 lol! But he also lost his sunnies in the process… pooor boy! We saw lots of birds and even two storks nesting! A real nature’s paradise. A nice stop for lunch is the Strandbad Buchhorn which is easily accessible.
Our favourite town was Arbon, where we almost had the feeling of being near the sea. This charming place has an historic town with some beautiful buildings and a classic car museum. Strolling along the lakeside, we felt like we were in a different country!
Near Konstanz, there's a very small section where the lake runs into the river Rhein before creating another arm of the Bodensee called Untersee. Here’s where there’s another great place well worth a visit: Gottlieben. There are a few really nice places to enjoy a drink or food right next to the river. A good place for a coffee is the Seecafé, and we definitely recommend trying the Gottlieben chocolate specialities.
Further west the river continues from a very picturesque place called Stein am Rhein in a gorgeous setting and some lovely old painted buildings. In summer, this place gets very crowded so best arrive very early before the swimmers and tourists do.
The next section of the Rhine to Basel is called the Hochrhein. It’s very peaceful from Stein am Rhein to Schaffhausen and there’s a lovely town called Diessenhofen. The best way to explore this area is by boat or canoe. There’s a regular cruise boat along this section.
Schaffhausen is not only an interesting city to explore but also offers one of the biggest waterfalls in Europe. It’s 150m wide and 23m deep. A tourist boat takes you to an island in the middle of the river and you can enjoy multiple viewpoints from the boardwalk. We found it quite difficult to take a good photo capturing the dimension of this natural beauty. In the end we used a drone to get this interesting angle below.
At the bottom of the fall the river peacefully flows through less visited areas. The Naturzentrum Thurauen is the biggest swamp area of the Mittelland and includes a broad variety of fauna and flora. If you’re lucky you might spot a beaver or a river kingfisher (Eisvogel). A next highlight is just past the bridge: the section between Rüdlingen and Eglisau is a great place to explore on foot especially in autumn. There are also some wineries to stop and taste local wines.
Past Eglisau, the river builds the natural border to Germany and calmly flows past the tiny medieval Kaiserstuhl (see Aargau) and further on to Koblenz/Waldshut, where the river Aare joins the Rhine. And this is where the river really expands due to the Aare bringing 50% more water than the Rhine itself. Laufenburg is another interesting stop along the way, with a Swiss and a German section connected by a bridge.
There’s a Roman archaeological site with a Roman theatre quite close to Basel: the Augusta Raurica. The Rhine was once the northern border of the Roman empire at the time of Gaius Julius Caesar. A city was constructed there around 15 BC as a trading centre and the population grew within 200 years to around 15'000 inhabitants. With the withdrawal of the Romans in the 7th century the city went into decline and reverted back to a small village.
After the Roman period, Basel was growing in importance. Here the Rhine turns north and leaves Switzerland. For a nice stroll through the city, start at the St Alban's Gate and walk down to the river. Then cross over the Wettstein Bridge from where there’s a great view of the Minster of Basel.
On the other side of the bridge there’s a promenade with places to swim. We took the St. Alban Ferry “Wild Maa” back to the other side and found a lovely little bar Fähribödeli. The walk up from there takes you to the Minster, then continue on through a peaceful quarter in the Old Town and you’ll reach the red Rathaus (town hall). Don't miss the courtyard!
The medieval alleys of Heuberg and Spalenberg and finally the Gate of Spalen (Spalentor) of the old town are very peaceful and beautiful areas.
We took part in a brilliant and unique event a few years ago – the Pret A Diner – at the Elisabethen Kirche. It was absolutely amazing - the whole setting was just awesome! A delicious dinner was followed by dancing, and the DJ doing his stuff from the pulpit!
There are many beautiful and less crowded places along the river Rhine and touring along the river does have some great highlights ranging from alpine scenery to swimming in the Bodensee, wine tasting, fine-dining, great waterfalls, and many interesting castles and historical towns. We enjoyed it!
Our other published locations cover the following areas (with links):
Part 1: Berner Oberland
Part 2: Jura
Part 3: Lake Luzern
Part 4: Engadin
Part 5: Appenzell
Part 6: Aargau
Part 7: Emmental
Part 8: Romandie
Part 9: Valais
Part 10: Uri, Schwyz, Glarus
Part 11: Rhein
Part 12: Zürich
"One crowded hour of glorious life is worth an age without a name"
(The Call - Thomas Osbert Morsdaunt, 1730-1809)
Travel blog and travel guide by Aaron Matzinger & Clare Walker
© Aaron Matzinger & Clare Walker