Running in Switzerland

I have the privilege of travelling to Basel, Switzerland, to work with a customer at their head office. This is my first time in Switzerland, and I am absolutely loving it.

I spent the first week cooped up in a drab hotel room without any running shoes. The second week, I made sure I check a bag and bring enough running stuff.

I painstakingly planned a 5 km route from the hotel in Binningen. I set out nervously the first morning and immediately encountered 100 m of elevation in the first 3 minutes. Stopping to catch my breath, I had a fantastic view of Basel City.

The route then took a turn away from the city and climbed up a rolling hill through meadows and community gardens.

At the top of the hill, I chose to stray from my pre-planned route and run into the forest. This was a mistake. The forest path turned in the wrong direction, taking me down a busy street and through a neighbourhood that seems to be designed to contain a perfect mix of old Swedish houses and modern glass buildings.

By this time I was spending more time studying google maps than running. When I found the tram line I just followed it to the stop in front of the hotel.

The next evening I decided to take it up a notch by adding 5 km to my previous route. The additional section took me through corn, cow and pumpkin fields and had scores of other runners.

I followed the signs for walking route 483, and luckily had to spend less time looking at google maps.

I didn’t spend any less on my phone, though. The landscape was breathtaking, and I couldn’t help but stop and take photo’s every few meters.

I think tomorrow will be my last run in Basel. While there are so many options; run through the city, around the zoo, climb the hill to the west or run through Germany and France, I’ll probably stick to what I know: Cow fields, meadows and city views.

Have you ever had a surprisingly green run in a big city like this?