Natural and cultural highlights between Zurich and Basel.

Stunning castles, historic old towns and superb hiking trails – hop aboard the Interregio from Zurich to Basel and enjoy exciting excursion destinations along the route through Aargau and the sunny Basel region. And a thrilling art museum awaits you in Basel itself! Simply choose what you feel like doing the most.

The image shows the route from Lenzburg to Basel with six highlights marked along the way. — Image legend: From Zurich, the IR37 runs hourly to Basel in 1 hour and 8 minutes. Along the route, there are many attractive sights and activities. Here are our six favourites.

The trip in pictures.

Image legend: 1st highlight: Visit an exciting castle at the very first stop in Lenzburg. From Zurich, the journey on the Interregio takes just 19 minutes.
Image legend: 2nd highlight: If you’d rather go on a city tour, just stay on the train for six more minutes and get off in Aarau. The cantonal capital is a delight, with 90 uniquely painted gabled roofs, historic buildings, cosy cafés and tiny shops.
Image legend: 3rd highlight: Hiking fans can really get their money’s worth on this part of the route: travel 17 minutes further to reach Gelterkinden station in the sunny Basel region, then it’s a short bus ride to a beautiful hike to the Farnsburg ruins – history and spectacular views guaranteed.
Image legend: 4th highlight: Instead of getting off in Gelterkinden, it’s worth staying on board for the 4-minute onward journey to Sissach. Here, the Sissacherfluh awaits with a magnificent view of the Ergolz valley and the Alps. Tip: Treat yourself to exquisite cuisine and warm hospitality in the ‘Sissacherfluh’ mountain restaurant along the way.
Image legend: 5th highlight: Continue your journey for seven more minutes from Sissach to reach Liestal, the cantonal capital. Stroll through the beautiful old town with fabulous shopping opportunities and enjoy the fascinating exhibitions at ‘Museum.BL’.
Image legend: 6th highlight: Finally, after another 11 minutes, you’ll reach Basel. The Kunstmuseum Basel is well worth a visit with its masterpieces by artists ranging from Holbein to Picasso. Tip: Take advantage of attractive discounts when you travel to the museum by public transport.

Enjoy one of the oldest and most impressive hilltop castles in Switzerland. Situated high above the town, the castle offers thrilling insights into more than 1,000 years of history and fantastic views over central Aargau.

What’s waiting for you.

Around 1,000 years of vibrant castle history in one of the oldest hilltop castles in Switzerland.
Living history museum, prison cells and knights’ exhibition.
Children’s museum with costumes and crafts. See Fauchi the castle dragon in his cave.
Panoramic views from the rose garden to the surrounding castles.

Getting there and useful information.

Take the IR37 to Lenzburg. Around 20 to 25 minutes’ walk from the station or 12 minutes by bus (no. 391).
Duration of visit: approx. 3 hours.
Partly suitable for prams and wheelchairs.

Enjoy the picturesque, mostly car-free atmosphere of Aarau with its historic buildings, cosy cafés and lively shopping experience.

What’s waiting for you.

Medieval old town with late-Gothic buildings from the 16th and 17th centuries.
Around 90 painted roof gables are the town’s architectural feature.
Popular pedestrianised area with shops, restaurants and weekly market.
Traditional highlights include the Maienzug children’s festival, the Bachfischet autumn festival and the Rüeblimärt traditional market.
The Aargauer Kunsthaus is a cultural highlight.

Getting there and useful information.

Take the IR37 to Aarau. The old town is just 5 minutes’ walk from the station.
Duration: as long as you like.
Pram and wheelchair accessible.

History, views and nature. Explore the Farnsburg ruins on this circular hike from Buuseregg with a great viewing platform and fascinating audio histories.

What’s waiting for you.

Circular hike from the Buus, Buuseregg stop to the Farnsburg ruins.
Renovated castle ruins with viewing platform and 700 years of history.
Audio tour with nine audio stories about key moments in the castle’s history.

Getting there and useful information.

Take the IR37 to Gelterkinden. From there, travel 10 minutes to Buuseregg on Postbus route 100 towards Rheinfelden.
Start/end of the circular hike: Buus, Buuseregg bus stop.
Duration: approx. 1 hour 30 minutes.
Length: 4.4km.
Degree of difficulty: easy.
Not suitable for prams and wheelchairs.

Go to the hiking route

Panoramic views, castle ruins and lots of fun. This excellent hike offers fantastic variety.

What’s waiting for you.

Panoramic views from Sissacherfluh over the Ergolz valley, Jura and Alps.
Take a break in the Sissacherfluh mountain restaurant.
Bischofstein ruins with castle complex and barbecue area.
Tännligarten children’s play area in amongst the trees.
Finish off in the heart of Sissach village.

Getting there and useful information.

Take the IR37 to Sissach. From there, it’s an 8-minute bus ride (no. 106) to the Sissacher Fluh bus stop.
Hike starting point: Sissacher Fluh bus stop.
Destination: Sissach station.
Duration: approx. 1 hour 50 minutes.
Length: 5.9km.
Degree of difficulty: easy.
Not suitable for prams and wheelchairs.

Go to the hiking route

Charming and award-winning (Flâneur d’Or 2020): Stroll through the “Stedtli” of Liestal, with over 700 years of market traditions.

What’s waiting for you.

Historic old town with the Törli gateway – known as ‘Stedtli’ since 1250 and the principal town of the Basel-Landschaft canton.
Rathausstrasse offers an award-winning promenade with shops, cafés and restaurants.
Museum.BL at Zeughausplatz with exciting exhibitions.
Gourmet market every Saturday in Rathausstrasse.

Getting there and useful information.

Take the IR37 to Liestal.
Duration: as long as you like.
Pram and wheelchair accessible.

Centuries of art. Discover masterpieces from Holbein to Warhol in the three locations of the Kunstmuseum Basel.

What’s waiting for you.

Three locations: Hauptbau, Neubau and Gegenwart in Basel.
Special ‘Helen Frankenthaler’ exhibition from 18 April to 23 August 2026.
Over 300,000 works from the 15th century to the present.
Masterpieces by Holbein, Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso.

Getting there and useful information.

Take the IR37 to Basel SBB. From there, it’s a 12-minute walk or a 9-minute journey on tram no. 2 to the Basel, Kunstmuseum stop.
Duration: as long as you like.
Pram and wheelchair accessible.
Tip: Take advantage of attractive discounts when you travel there by public transport.

Go to Art’n’Rail Kunstmuseum Basel RailAway offer

A note about planning your journey.

To ensure that you can travel in comfort, we regularly carry out maintenance work on the SBB network. Please check the timetable on SBB.ch or in the SBB Mobile app before starting your journey. It is continually updated and provides suggestions for the best connections.

Go to the timetable

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Natural and cultural highlights between Zurich and Basel.

The trip in pictures.

What’s waiting for you.

Getting there and useful information.

What’s waiting for you.

Getting there and useful information.

What’s waiting for you.

Getting there and useful information.

What’s waiting for you.

Getting there and useful information.

What’s waiting for you.

Getting there and useful information.

What’s waiting for you.

Getting there and useful information.

A note about planning your journey.

In cooperation with:

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Natural and cultural highlights between Zurich and Basel.

The trip in pictures.

1. Lenzburg Castle.

2. Aarau old town.

SBB News

4. Sissacherfluh–Bischofstein ruins hike.

5. Liestal old town.

6. Kunstmuseum Basel.

A note about planning your journey.

In cooperation with:

Further content

Offer: Companion Ticket.

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