EuroVelo 15 Switzerland – Rhine Route

The Rhein-Route is Swiss national cycle route no. 2. It runs from Andermatt to Basel, following the Rhine from its source region below the Oberalppass to the Rhine ports of Basel at the meeting point of Switzerland, Germany and France. Beyond Basel, the same river corridor continues as EuroVelo 15 all the way to the North Sea.

The route has two distinct halves. The opening section is alpine and demanding: a climb over the Oberalppass (2044 m), rolling terrain through the Romansh-speaking Surselva, and the Ruinaulta, the Rhine Gorge that Swiss tourism calls the "Grand Canyon of Switzerland". After Chur and the wine villages of the Bündner Herrschaft, the character changes. From Bad Ragaz onwards the route follows the Rhine and Lake Constance with no significant climbs, passing the Rhine delta, the Untersee, Stein am Rhein and the Rhine Falls before reaching Basel.

Rhein-Route at a glance: key facts

• Start and finish: Andermatt to Basel (one-way route)
• Typical duration: 9–10 days at the pace of the official stages
• Difficulty: medium overall according to SchweizMobil; the Disentis–Chur stage is rated difficult
• Elevation profile: demanding from Andermatt to Bad Ragaz (Oberalppass, Surselva, Rhine Gorge, Bündner Herrschaft); mostly flat from Bad Ragaz to Basel
• Surface: mostly asphalt, with unpaved sections, notably between Disentis and Chur
• Route type: mixed, from the Oberalppass hairpins to cycle tracks on the Rhine dykes
• Recommended direction: downstream, from Andermatt to Basel
• Recommended bike: touring or trekking bike with low gears for the alpine start and tyres suited to gravel
• Waymarking: national route no. 2, signposted in both directions
• Family suitability: not suitable for children as a whole because of sustained climbs between Andermatt and Chur; see the family section below for the flatter lower route

How is the Rhein-Route signposted?

The Rhein-Route is signposted continuously as national route no. 2, in both directions. The basic route markers show the number 2 on a light blue field next to a large white bicycle. Destination signs list the next towns along the route; in Stein am Rhein, for example, they point to Kreuzlingen, Steckborn, Hemishofen and Schaffhausen.

At junctions, the signs also show other national routes, such as the Rhone-Route (no. 1) and the North-South Route (no. 3). A three-digit number marks a regional cycle route, and a white number on a yellow field marks a mountain bike route. Between Stein am Rhein and Schaffhausen, the route crosses the German border several times, including a stretch along the Rhine at Gailingen. The GPX track is available directly in VeloPlanner for anyone who wants turn-by-turn backup.

Which direction and when to ride the Rhein-Route

SchweizMobil defines the route from Andermatt to Basel, and riding downstream means more descending than climbing overall. It also puts the hardest riding, the Oberalppass, on the first day, when legs are fresh. Because the route is signposted both ways, riding upstream from Basel is possible, but the alpine section then comes at the very end.

The alpine start dictates the season. SchweizMobil notes that sections can be closed or interrupted depending on the time of year and weather, so check route and weather conditions with the local tourist office before setting off, especially for the Oberalppass. PostAuto buses in Graubünden carry bikes on trailers or rear racks only during the summer months.

Rhein-Route stages from Andermatt to Basel

SchweizMobil divides the Rhein-Route into nine official stages. They make a practical framework, though many riders combine the flat lower stages or split the alpine ones.

Andermatt – Disentis
The day starts with the climb to the Oberalppass, whose hairpins hold a steady gradient of mostly 7–9%. The pass links the cantons of Uri and Graubünden, and the descent leads into the Val Tujetsch past Selva and Rueras to Sedrun. The stage ends in Disentis (Mustér), the monastery village at the foot of the Oberalp and Lukmanier passes.

Disentis – Chur
SchweizMobil rates this stage difficult because of constant ups and downs and a share of unpaved track. It crosses the Surselva, the largest Romansh-speaking area of Graubünden, via Sumvitg, Ilanz (Glion) and Valendas. Between Ilanz and Reichenau, the route runs through the Ruinaulta gorge before reaching Chur.

Chur – Buchs
The route rolls through the wine villages of the Bündner Herrschaft, including Jenins and Maienfeld, then reaches Bad Ragaz in the Heidiland region. From Bad Ragaz onwards, the route mostly follows the Rhine via Sargans to Buchs.

Buchs – St. Margrethen
This stage follows the Alpine Rhine valley north past Werdenberg, Oberriet and Altstätten.

St. Margrethen – Kreuzlingen
The Rhine enters Lake Constance through what Swiss tourism describes as Europe's largest freshwater delta. The route then follows the Swiss shore of the lake via Rorschach, Arbon and Romanshorn to Kreuzlingen.

Kreuzlingen – Schaffhausen
Along the Untersee, the route passes the onion fields of the Tägermoos, the half-timbered houses of Ermatingen, Berlingen and Steckborn, and Schloss Arenenberg. At Stein am Rhein, the Rhine leaves the lake. After the Bibermüli floodplain, a forest section with some climbs leads to Gailingen in Germany and, after several border crossings, to Schaffhausen.

Schaffhausen – Bad Zurzach
The stage begins at the Rhine Falls and follows the High Rhine via Rheinau and Eglisau to the spa town of Bad Zurzach.

Bad Zurzach – Rheinfelden
The route continues along the High Rhine via Koblenz and Laufenburg to Rheinfelden.

Rheinfelden – Basel
The final stage passes Kaiseraugst and the Roman town of Augusta Raurica at Augst, then Birsfelden, before ending in Basel.

Highlights along the Rhein-Route

The route links alpine landscapes, protected river floodplains and a series of historic towns. Several highlights sit a short detour off the route.

Natural sights

• Tomasee: the small lake (2345 m) where the Vorderrhein rises, 3 km south of the Oberalppass, reached on foot
• Ruinaulta (Rhine Gorge): rock formations up to 400 m high between Ilanz and Reichenau; the Il Spir viewing platform at Versam looks down into the gorge
• Ogna da Pardiala: a floodplain of around 100 hectares in the Surselva, protected as a site of national importance, home to hoopoes, whinchats and red-backed shrikes
• Rhine delta on Lake Constance: described by Swiss tourism as Europe's largest freshwater delta
• Bibermüli: a floodplain of national importance between Stein am Rhein and Schaffhausen
• Rhine Falls (Rheinfall): at Schaffhausen, described by Swiss tourism as Europe's most powerful waterfall

Historical and cultural sights

• Disentis Abbey: the oldest existing Benedictine monastery north of the Alps, burned by French troops in 1799 and restored in the late 19th century
• La Truaisch village museum, Sedrun: one of Switzerland's most valuable mineral collections
• Ilanz old town: the Obertor gate, St. Margarethenkirche, Casa Gronda, and the Museum Regiunal Surselva in the Casa Carniec
• Valendas: a wooden fountain built in 1760, described as the largest in Europe
• Bündner Herrschaft: wine villages including Jenins, home to the Weinstube Alter Torkel
• Schloss Arenenberg: the Napoleon Museum in the castle where Napoleon III spent his youth
• Reichenau Island: a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the German side of the Untersee, reached by solar ferry from Mannenbach
• Stein am Rhein: town gates, fresco-painted façades and the Museum Lindwurm, covering life around 1850
• Munot, Schaffhausen: the circular fortress that is the town's landmark
• Augusta Raurica, Augst: the remains of a Roman town
• Museum Tinguely, Basel: at the finish

Is the Rhein-Route suitable for families?

The Rhein-Route is not family-friendly as a whole. The section from Andermatt to Chur has sustained climbs, including the Oberalppass hairpins, and SchweizMobil rates Disentis–Chur as difficult. From Bad Ragaz to Basel, the route has no significant climbs and uses cycle tracks on the Rhine dykes in places. The route operator does not publish traffic information for individual sections, so families should check a specific section's road conditions before choosing it for a ride with children.

Where to stay on the Rhein-Route

The stage towns offer a range of accommodation. For Andermatt, Disentis and Kreuzlingen, Switzerland Tourism lists hotels, holiday apartments, group houses and campsites, with a hostel and B&Bs also in Kreuzlingen.

• Hotels: in the stage towns; Switzerland Tourism also runs a Swiss Bike Hotels listing
• Holiday apartments and group houses: useful for families and groups staying several nights in one base
• Campsites: listed at stage towns including Andermatt, Disentis and Kreuzlingen
• Luggage transfer: commercial operators offer self-guided Rhein-Route trips with pre-booked accommodation and luggage transport

Getting to and from the Rhein-Route

Getting there

Andermatt is reachable by train. To skip the climb to the Oberalppass, you can take your bike on the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn from Andermatt to the top of the pass, which takes around 18 minutes. In Swiss regional trains, bikes need a Velobillett (bike ticket) and you load them yourself; bike compartments are marked with a bicycle symbol on the door.

Getting back

Basel is served by rail. Most larger towns along the route also have train connections, which makes it easy to ride individual sections or shorten the trip.

PostAuto with a bike

In summer, PostAuto buses in Graubünden carry bikes on trailers or rear racks. Bikes need their own ticket, bought from the driver, and you load them yourself. There is no guarantee of space, so booking ahead is recommended. Reservation is mandatory for groups of six or more and on certain lines. E-bikes can only be carried in very limited numbers; a rear rack holds five bikes, of which at most two may be e-bikes.

Practical tips for riding the Rhein-Route

Most of the route's difficulty is concentrated at the start. The Oberalppass climb and the rolling Disentis–Chur stage are the hardest days, and the unpaved sections on that stage call for suitable tyres. Seasonal closures can affect the alpine section, so check conditions with the local tourist office before departure. In the Surselva, Romansh is spoken, and place names often appear in two forms, such as Disentis/Mustér and Ilanz/Glion. Between Stein am Rhein and Schaffhausen, the route crosses briefly into Germany.

• Train stations in most larger towns along the route, with bike transport on regional trains
• Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn to the Oberalppass as an alternative to the first climb
• PostAuto bike transport in Graubünden during the summer months
• Luggage-transfer packages from commercial operators

Before you ride

Plan the first two days carefully. If the Oberalppass is not what you came for, the train to the top of the pass lets you start with the descent into the Val Tujetsch and save your energy for the Surselva and the Rhine Gorge. From Bad Ragaz onwards, the riding gets easier, which leaves time for detours to the Rhine Falls, Reichenau Island or Augusta Raurica.

The nine official stages are one way to split the trip. Open the route in the VeloPlanner planner to set your own daily distances, whether that means combining the flat stages along Lake Constance or spreading the alpine section over three days.