Discover Laufen: Old Town, museums and Jura hikes

Laufen is known as a small town shaped by the Middle Ages; the Birs flows through it. The town lies a few kilometres from Delémont and close to French-speaking Switzerland. Cobblestone lanes, historic town gates and remains of the town wall give the Old Town its distinctive character. Ten circular panels featuring photographic portraits are scattered throughout the area. Their QR codes link to the respective audio plays, adding an audio dimension to the experience as you walk through the lanes. Details of this installation may change; before setting out, check whether the listening stations are available as expected.

Old Town stories and museums

Guided tours introduce both well-known sights and lesser-known corners of the Old Town, offering a deeper insight into the town’s history, which spans around 800 years. They are available throughout the year and in all weather. If you prefer to explore the town in a more playful way, the Mystery Walk is a historical treasure hunt completed on foot. To solve the puzzle, participants work together and piece together clues. The guided tour and the puzzle walk offer different experiences: one explores the town’s history, while the other focuses on solving clues together.

The Laufental Museum is dedicated to the history of the entire Laufental valley. Its four floors display numerous objects, including prehistoric and Roman finds as well as items from stone masonry, which was important to the valley for a long time. A lifelike reconstruction of “UNA” complements the exhibition; archaeologists call her the “oldest Swiss woman”. The Laufen Fossil Museum focuses on a different period: it displays more than 2,500 fossils dating from 150 to 200 million years ago. A fossil game takes visitors back to a time when the region lay beneath the surface of the sea. The museums offer a chance to discover both human history and work, as well as a much more distant period in Earth’s history.

Trails and nature in the Laufental valley

The Laufen Planet Trail starts and ends at Laufen railway station, which has connections to the S-Bahn and various bus routes. Along the way, you can hike through a scale-model solar system; an interactive fairy tale, played on your smartphone via QR code, serves as an audio guide. Connections and route details may change. Before setting out, check the timetable and, if you plan to use the digital guide, the current QR code information.

Other hikes vary in length and character. The Wahlen–Stürmechopf hike is 7.47 kilometres long and takes around 2.5 hours. It leads to a viewing platform on the Stürmechopf, offering impressive panoramic views. Hiking in the Laufen district ranges from easy walks to challenging tours, so choose a specific route according to its stated length and duration. One hike in the district combines nature with traces of prehistoric times and passes through two Jura valleys along the border between Basel-Landschaft and Solothurn.

The Laufental Karst Educational Trail runs between Zwingen and Grellingen, passing steep rock faces and clayey caves as well as clear springs. More than a dozen information panels explain the geology, the sensitive cave ecosystem, how the caves formed and their light-shy inhabitants. The Via Jura (SwitzerlandMobility 80) passes through protected dry meadows where rare orchids grow; ruins and castles can also be visited along the route in the Laufen region. The regional visitor portal for Laufen and the Laufental valley also lists cycling routes alongside hiking options for exploring the area.

More regional experiences

In Nenzlingen, the Bee Trail features interactive stations about the world of bees and lies next to the Ricola Herb Garden. Marked paths from the village square and car park lead to the start of the trail in a 20-minute walk. At the Ricola Experience Shop, you can learn about the family business and how the famous Ricola sweets are made from herbs. Creative workshops about herbal sweets and related activities are offered for families, children’s birthday parties, team events and groups. Availability and seasonal details may change; check the current offer before planning to take part.

Zwingen Castle adds to the region’s historic attractions. The castle stands on an island in the Birs; its oldest parts date back to the second half of the 13th century. The castle grounds can be visited on foot at any time, and the castle is a five-minute walk from Zwingen railway station. As access arrangements may change, check the visiting conditions before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Duggingen, Liesberg, Grellingen, Laufen, Zwingen, Basel-Stadt, Arlesheim, Liestal.

Back to the main travel overview: Basel-Land.