Top 5 Caves in Dorneck

Since 1926, the monastery church has borne the papal title of honor of a Basilica minor. Originally built in the late Gothic style, the interior was redesigned several times and furnished and painted in the Neo-Baroque style between 1900 and 1934. The mighty high altar at the end of the choir, a gift from the French King Louis XIV, was consecrated in 1680.

Just a few meters above the path lies this small cave in the rock. It's easy to get in with a little scrambling. It's obviously used by various people from time to time, as there's all sorts of junk lying around. It's still a lovely spot nonetheless.

The cave is closed from the beginning of October to the end of April to protect the bats. Outside of these months, you can apply for the key via a form at the Gempen community center. This will then be given to you for one day and you can visit the cave. The path to it is easy to see, but very steep coming from below.

The Mariastein monastery is considered the second most important pilgrimage site in Switzerland after Einsiedeln. Its origins go back to a legend in which a little boy fell over a high rock face and was then found unharmed by his mother. After he told his father that he had been caught by a woman, the father was sure that it was the Virgin Mary. He had a chapel built in a cave in her honor. The monastery complex can be visited daily, but services are held regularly. More information can be found here: https://www.kloster-mariastein.ch/informationen/agenda/

Great gorge just outside Basel with a lovely fireplace. In midsummer, when the temperatures in the city are hot, this detour into the cool gorge is particularly worthwhile. Very interesting for children, as it is only a 10-minute walk from the car park.

The Hutzmetreppe in the Falkenflue connects Hochwald and Duggingen. The approach from above is much more pleasant than from below, as it is really steep here! It is also worth taking a look under the rocks of the stairs, where you will find a water source that comes directly out of the rock.

The Mariastein monastery is, alongside the Einsiedeln monastery, the second most visited pilgrimage site in Switzerland. Thousands of believers and pilgrims from all over the world make a pilgrimage to Mariastein every year to ask Mary for help or to receive her blessing. Of course, the impressive monastery complex and the surrounding lands attract numerous tourists and hikers every year, who bring home a wealth of memories with a suitcase or backpack, but also a full photo or cell phone memory card. A detour to the gift chapel hidden in a rock grotto and the magnificent basilica is particularly recommended. If you visit Mariastein, you should also, if possible, pay a visit to the nearby castle ruins of Château Landskron in Alsace, just a few minutes' walk away.

Mariastein Abbey is, after Einsiedeln, the second most important place of pilgrimage in Switzerland. It is known for its chapel dedicated to Mary, located in the Grotto, as well as its beautiful Gothic architecture and works of art.