Route 2: Section 9-end ; cycling Rheinfelden to Basel, Switzerland

Highlights: Rheinfelden, Augusta Raurica, Basel (Old Town-MUST SEE)

Route 2: Section 9-end (Rheinfelden 267m–Basel 266m)

Stats from SwitzerlandMobility.ch (https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/cycling-in-switzerland/routes/route/etappe-0930.html): 22km, height difference Rheinfelden–Basel 150m (170m in opposite direction). Their site has the full profile.

Shares with eurovelo 6 & 15

September 2019

Today, the ride was really short.

In fact, I had already covered half of this Section (from Pratteln to Basel) as part of Route 3:01. Basel, my second most favorite Swiss city, was also amply reviewed in Route 7:01.

So, today, as I had to go for work in that region, I took the occasion to complete the last 14km from Pratteln (see 3:01) to Rheinfelden (see 2:08).

The only main landmark in this area, aside from Pratteln and Rheinfelden, is a huge Roman settlement called

Augusta Raurica (augustaraurica.ch/en/). It requires a slight detour near Pratteln but it is well worth the time. It has been on my list for a while and I was happy to finally have the chance to stop there. It is one of the best-preserved Roman town north of the Alps. At its peak, it had as many as 20,000 inhabitants.

The most striking building is the amphitheater, right next ti the museum, while many other ruins can be seen throughout a pretty vast land. The site includes a museum with many archeological findings, a reconstructed house and kids activities.