Tourists can tick off three countries in less than a day thanks to the quirky city which is home to three borders – and there’s even one spot where you can walk through them in minutes
An underrated European city offers tourists the unique chance to visit three different countries in just one day.
Basel, Switzerland, may not necessarily be a go-to holiday hotspot for most people, but if you’re looking to tick a few countries off the bucket list then you could use the pretty city as a shortcut.
That’s because the harbour city on the Rhine River is also where the borders of Germany, France and Switzerland all meet. (In fact, it remains an important transport hub between the three to this day).
Tourists will want to head to the Dreiländereck monument which marks the tripoint where all three borders converge, and there is of course a popular viewpoint where you can get a photo of yourself with all three countries behind you. There is also a spot where you can walk around and in theory, tick off the destinations in less than 10 minutes.
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One holidaymaker on Tripadvisor explained: “The monumental structure shows the intersection of the borders of three countries, namely France, Switzerland and Germany. By walking around the monument, you symbolically set foot in all three countries. At this point, the view of the river is also beautiful.”
The easiest way (and usually the most popular) to explore the area is by a water taxi or a boat tour, which often include a stop at the monument. It’s worth noting that some holidaymakers have gone in search of Dreiländereck but struggled to find clear signage, so if you are planning to tick it off the list, make sure you have a clear map and plan before you head off.
It’s worth noting that if you want to be physically on the point where the three countries meet, this is actually within the river so a boat trip is the best way to do this! Meanwhile some visitors have warned that while it’s quite a cool bucket list item, it’s not a particularly breathtaking area. One tourist explained: “Geographically interesting, but not particularly scenic. The boat trip is free with the Basel-card, which is very generous of the city!”
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For those who want to make a short break of it rather than a day trip, there is actually a longer walk of approximately 44km which is broken down into three stages, and takes the scenic route through all three countries, although you’ll definitely want to factor in a few stops along the way – you can find out more at schweizmobil.ch.
Basel’s not the only spot in Europe where you can stand in one spot and say you’ve been in multiple countries at the same time. Baarle is a small town that often attracts intrepid explorers because it straddles the border of the Netherlands and Belgium, and technically has two municipalities which are intertwined. However that has also meant the town has the likes of two town halls, post offices and police forces, making it a quirky must-visit for those who like to go off the beaten track!
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