ViaSurprise feeder line: Basel - Dornach

From Basel railroad station, the stage leads across Aeschenplatz, past St. Alban Tor and then along St. Alban-Teich, a canal built in the High Middle Ages that runs through the city of Basel to Münchenstein. From Aeschenplatz, it is definitely worth making a detour to Basel Minster, which towers above the Rhine. Münsterplatz offers a beautiful view over the old town and the river. The Museum of Cultures at the other end of Münsterplatz is well worth a visit, as are the magnificent buildings of the former silk manufacturers who made Basel a rich trading city before and during industrialization. Also worth a detour is the Basel Paper Mill, the Swiss Museum of Paper, Writing and Printing. A special feature of the paper museum is that visitors also have the opportunity to try their hand at the "white" or "black" art of making paper or printing. The path leads along the St. Alban pond to St. Jakob Park. From here, the path leads along the Birs, past the Schänzli racecourse and various sports fields to the "Park im Grünen", the former Grün 80 site. Continuing along the river, you repeatedly come across quiet areas in the middle of the vibrant Basel agglomeration, such as Reinacher Heide, before crossing the Nepomuk Bridge to reach the busy Arlesheim/Dornach railroad station in just a few minutes, right next to the former Capuchin monastery in Dornach, which is a great place to spend the night. There is much to discover in Arlesheim/Dornach: The center of anthroposophy, the Goetheanum and the Capuchin monastery of Dornach are located here. A visit to the proud cathedral of Arlesheim and the nearby Ermitage, the largest English landscape park in Switzerland, is highly recommended. From here, there are two ways to continue on the ViaSurprise circular route. To the east, the route leads through the Ermitage and continues on the circular route to Seewen, Reigoldswil. To the west, the route runs over the Blauen to Mariastein and on towards Zwingen and Beinwil.