Reigoldswil: Nature, Culture and Wasserfallen

Reigoldswil lies at the upper end of the Hintere Frenke valley and is a municipality in the Waldenburg district of the canton of Basel-Landschaft. Local legends, farming traditions, historic religious buildings and activities in the Wasserfallen area offer a range of ways to explore the region. The municipality encompasses valley and mountain landscapes at elevations of 470 to 1,161 metres; Schattberg in the Passwang range is associated with the upper end of this elevation range.

Culture and local history

The Rifenstein Legends Trail brings local legends to life with sculptures and information boards along a circular hiking trail that is open year-round. It starts at the village museum on Schmidtengasse. When planning your route, note the difference between its sections: the upper part, sections 6 to 9, has stairs; the rest of the trail is accessible with a pushchair. If you are travelling with a pushchair, take this stretch of stairs into account.

The «Im Feld» local history museum is on the ground floor of the «Im Feld» farmhouse, built in 1765. Its permanent exhibition depicts rural life from the 18th to the 20th century. The building itself also tells the story of regional architecture: it is considered a valuable historic example of rural architecture in the canton of Basel-Landschaft and is intended to be added to the cantonal inventory of protected cultural monuments.

Several sights in Reigoldswil bring together religious history and art. The village church was consecrated in 1562 at the foot of Hoggenhübel. Inside are the «Mother and Child» baptismal font and the «Icarus» plaster relief, both works by local sculptor Jakob Probst; several of his sculptures are among the local sights. The building Im Chilchli has a different history: originally a Hilarius chapel, it served Reformed worship from 1536 to 1562 and was converted into a residential building towards the end of the 18th century.

Local customs are also part of the area’s cultural character. On the Sunday after Easter, the Eierlesen takes place: eggs are transported across the primary school playground in various groups and variations, after which everyone is invited to the convivial «Eierdätsch». Banntag is still celebrated by people from Reigoldswil and visitors from elsewhere, though no longer in its original context. The Wasserfallen and Widentäli groups take turns each year; after two years, the entire Reigoldswil boundary has been walked.

Castle ruins, landscapes and activities

The well-preserved Rifenstein Castle ruins belong to the municipality of Reigoldswil. They stand on a steep rocky spur between Reigoldswil and Titterten and offer views across the valley. The remains include a residential tower and two courtyards, where many sections of wall are still intact. These details offer specific points of interest: the site’s position in the landscape, its surviving structures and the view across the valley.

In winter, explore the snow-covered, sparkling hills around Wasserfallen on snowshoes or along winter hiking trails. Above Reigoldswil, right next to the mountain station of the Reigoldswil–Wasserfallen cable car, is the Wasserfallen ropes course. As the facility’s status may change, check current visitor information before planning a visit.

Visitors can rent scooters at the Reigoldswil–Wasserfallen cable car and ride them down into the valley. The minimum age is 10, and the minimum height is 135 centimetres. Younger or shorter children must ride with an adult. As usage rules and availability may change, it is advisable to check the conditions before planning this activity.

Bus No. 70 runs from Liestal to the «Reigoldswil Dorfplatz» stop, from where the route to the valley station is clearly signposted. Check the timetable before travelling. A trail-running route in the wider Waldenburg district also starts and ends at the valley station. Its route description mentions streams, waterfalls and rock formations in the Wasserfallen area, offering another way to discover the region’s landscape along a running route.

Discover more destinations: Hölstein, Diegten, Lampenberg, Waldenburg, Langenbruck, Niederdorf, Eptingen.

Back to the regional travel overview: Waldenburg.