Discover Kilchberg

Kilchberg lies at an altitude of 571 metres on the plateau of the upper Eital Valley in the Baselbieter Tafeljura. The municipality has an open landscape with standard fruit trees. For a stay, the history of St Martin’s Church and the natural surroundings of the Eital Valley, with the Im Giessen waterfall, offer different points of interest. There is also a pram-friendly hike and a cycling route leading to Kilchberg.

Landscape and waterfall in the Eital Valley

The upper Eital Valley lies in a Jura region listed in the Federal Inventory of Landscapes and Natural Monuments of National Importance: the Baselbieter and Fricktaler Tafeljura. The region is characterised by its seclusion and close connection to nature. In Kilchberg, the open landscape and the orchards of standard fruit trees are distinctive features of the surroundings.

Below Kilchberg, in the Eital Valley, lies the Im Giessen waterfall, a characteristic waterfall of the Tafeljura. Here, the Eibach plunges nine metres into a wide pool of emerald-green water. Those wishing to include this natural attraction in their plans can reach it from Kilchberg or from the Sagi station in Zeglingen.

St Martin’s Church and its history

Visible from far away, St Martin’s Church was rebuilt in the Neo-Gothic style in 1867 and consecrated on 5 July 1868. It has been protected by the canton since 1974 and is also under federal protection. The interior combines motifs of cathedral Gothic with distinctive elements of English Gothic. The choir window depicts the Last Supper.

The 34.5-metre-high tower has four bells, tuned to E-flat, G, B-flat and C. They continue to ring on Sundays, public holidays, at weddings and at funerals. The church also has the canton of Basel-Landschaft’s oldest playable organ preserved in its original condition. It is considered the canton’s only larger Neo-Gothic country church and the most original creation of its time. During the 1975 restoration, a bell-casting pit was discovered and a fourth bell was hoisted into the tower.

Historic houses in Kilchberg

The history of the village can also be read in its residential buildings. The protected farmhouse at Hauptstrasse 8 can be dated to 1720. It is a historic testament to a modest rural way of life. The building at Schlattweg 3 probably dates from the 17th century and is among the village’s most characteristic houses and oldest buildings.

As early as the Early Middle Ages, St Martin’s Church was the mother church for Kilchberg, Rünenberg and Zeglingen. Together, these historic landmarks reveal different sides of the village: its ecclesiastical role, 19th-century architecture and older rural dwellings.

Hiking, cycling route and getting there

The pram-friendly hike “Along the Walderläbnispfad” starts at the Kilchberg Gemeindehaus postbus stop and ends at Gelterkinden railway station. Its first section passes through an open, expansive Tafeljura landscape. Along the way, there are two playgrounds and three barbecue areas at various locations. This gives you several different places to stop along the route.

The Baselbieter Hof Route also leads to Kilchberg and can be ridden on an e-bike, bicycle or gravel bike. As routes may change, check the current route before setting off. For bus travel, route 104 connects Gelterkinden railway station, Rünenberg, Kilchberg Gemeindehaus and Zeglingen. The Zeglingen, Sagi stop serves the Giessen. If you are using a bus connection to plan your trip, check the current timetable.

Discover more destinations: Wintersingen, Buckten, Zunzgen, Sissach, Ormalingen, Thürnen, Maisprach, Läufelfingen

Go to the overarching travel overview: Sissach.