Cave and gorge route in the Chastelbach and Kaltbrunnental
Informationen zur Route
Best Time of Year
Description
The hike starts in the village of Grellingen (BL), which is easily accessible from Basel SBB by public transport.
A wild, narrow, and demanding path leads from here through the Chastelbach valley. After ascending at the waterfall of the Chastelbach, deep karst caves await us in the gorge of the Kaltbrunnental (Swiss German: Chaltbrunnental). Here, a karst educational trail provides exciting insights into geological and archaeological peculiarities: prehistoric finds, spring areas, and the Ibach cave tell of a time around 40,000 years ago when Neanderthals lived here.
At Chessiloch, a rock wall with over 100 painted military coats of arms recalls the mobilization of 1914. In the First World War, two railway bridges were guarded there; soldiers lived temporarily in the small cave in the wall.
Along the Birs, the ViaSurprise leads to Zwingen Castle - the core of the medieval town foundation in Laufental.
Original of the route: www.schwarzwaldverein-tourenportal.de/de/tour/808489973