Fricktaler Höhenweg: from Rheinfelden to Bad Säckingen

The Fricktal in north-western Switzerland is one of the sunniest and warmest regions north of the Alps. In order to show hikers the beauty of the landscape between the Jura and the Rhine, private individuals have marked the scenic high trail, which is visually different from the yellow signposts of the Swiss hiking trails. The blue signs bear the coat of arms of the former canton of Fricktal: a green lime leaf on a white background. The Fricktaler Höhenweg trail is 60 km long and leads from the Zähringer town of Rheinfelden via the market town of Frick to the wine village of Mettau.

The route presented here starts in Rheinfelden (D), but the unsurfaced path begins at the hermitage south of the highway in the wooded Steppberg. This soon turns into the Sunneberg forest reserve with 1000 protected oak trees. To the east of this, the Sunnenberg rises in the middle of the natural forest reserve (Bannwald). At 632 m above sea level. NHN stands the 22 m high observation tower. It offers a magnificent panoramic view of the Swiss Alps, the Basel region and the Black Forest. The third element of the protected area is a special forest reserve.

Below the Sonnenberg lies the historic village of Zeiningen (340 m). The church of St. Agatha with its late baroque frescoes is well worth a visit. Not far from the hiking trail, there was a Middle Stone Age hilltop settlement on the Zainingerberg at the prominent Bönistein.

At Spitzgraben, we leave the high trail down to the Rhine at Mumpf and cross the High Rhine at the Swiss municipality of Stein on the longest covered wooden bridge in Europe. On the German side is the "trumpeter town" of Bad Säckingen, which is well worth a visit.