Villas in Northwestern Switzerland

Basel suits city breaks, art fairs and Rhine swimming, while Wintersingen and Wegenstetten suit a quiet week in the Jura foothills. Nearly all our homes in north-western Switzerland are apartments in Basel, so this is a city page first. France and Germany are a tram ride away, and you will not need a car in town.

Where

Villas: 19
From, per week: £892
Cheapest month: July
Nearest airports: EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg is on French soil but has a Swiss exit, and buses run to Basel station in around 20 minutes. Zurich airport is around an hour away by direct train. Flights from London to Basel take around an hour and a half.

Where to stay in Northwestern Switzerland

Basel (old town and Grossbasel)

Almost all of our homes in this region are in Basel. The old town climbs from the Rhine to the red sandstone Minster, and the Kunstmuseum holds one of the oldest public art collections in Europe. Trams run everywhere, and the Fondation Beyeler gallery in Riehen is a short ride out. Art Basel fills the city each June, so book early that month. EuroAirport is around 20 minutes away by bus.

Best for: City breaks, art lovers and visitors to the trade fairs

Not for you if: You want a garden or a pool: homes in Basel are flats, and space is tight.

Basel for the Rhine and cross-border trips (Kleinbasel side)

On hot days people in Basel swim or float down the Rhine, carrying their clothes in a waterproof bag, and climb out along the Kleinbasel bank. Small ferries pulled by the current cross between the two halves of the city. Trams and trains reach the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein in Germany, and Colmar in Alsace is around 45 minutes by train. Freiburg and the Black Forest are close too.

Best for: Summer visitors who want river swimming and day trips to France and Germany

Not for you if: You want quiet evenings in July and August: the Kleinbasel riverbank is busy late.

Wintersingen (Baselland)

Wintersingen is a village in the hills of Baselland, among vineyards and the cherry orchards the area is known for. The market town of Sissach is around ten minutes away, and the Roman town of Augusta Raurica, with its theatre and a reconstructed Roman house, is around 15 minutes by car. Basel is around half an hour away, and EuroAirport around 40 minutes.

Best for: Couples who want vineyards, cherry orchards and walks near Basel

Not for you if: You want to walk to a bar or restaurant: the village is small and quiet.

Wegenstetten (Fricktal, Aargau)

Wegenstetten sits in a side valley of the Fricktal, in the Jura foothills, with walks over the ridges and orchards that blossom in April. Rheinfelden, around 20 minutes away, has an old town on the Rhine and the Feldschlösschen brewery, which runs tours. Bad Säckingen's covered wooden bridge over the Rhine to Germany is close by. Basel is around half an hour, and Zurich airport around 50 minutes.

Best for: Walkers and cyclists who want Jura hills and Rhine towns

Not for you if: You need public transport: buses are infrequent and a car makes life easier.

When to go to Northwestern Switzerland

Basel works all year. Summer is the time for Rhine swimming, from late June to August, when the river is warm enough for most. Art Basel in June pushes prices up and fills the city. Fasnacht, the carnival, starts at 4am on the Monday after Ash Wednesday and runs for three days,. The autumn fair runs from late October, and the Christmas markets fill Barfüsserplatz and the Minster square in December. In the countryside, April brings cherry blossom and June and July the cherry harvest.