Sep 16 2025

Crossing Borders By Bike: A Father And Son Ride From Germany To Switzerland For Church And Coffee

I had such a pleasant Sunday afternoon with my son Augustine in biking from Lörrach, Germany to Basel, Switzerland that I’m still smiling about it several months later.

Biking From Germany To Switzerland For Church And Coffee

Regular readers know that wherever I am in the world, I make it a point to attend church on Sunday. That’s a personal conviction, not a requirement of my faith…I don’t begrudge the faithful who take a break from church on vacation, but I don’t view church as something to take a break from…it’s a way I take a rest from my labors each week.

When I’m at my in-laws, I attend the Anglican Church in Basel, just over the Swiss border, and what makes the entire day even better is that I bike there, a glorious 7-kilometer bike ride through the forest and into the city. This time, Augustine asked to come along and so the two of us set out about 3:00 pm so we could enjoy the bike ride and stop for coffee before church.

Springtime in Germany and Switzerland is lovely and the weather was perfect for a mid-afternoon bike ride. I can usually make the trip in about 25 minutes, but it took twice as long with Augustine, which made me glad I had budgeted the extra time.

a person riding a bicycle on a dirt road with trees

a child riding a bike on a path with grass and trees

a path with grass and trees on the side

a child riding a bike on a path with trees

a child riding a bike on a path with people in the background

a child sitting on the ground near a stream

I’ve shared my favorite coffee choices in Basel and today we stopped at Brü. With the Swiss Franc so strong, a flat white set me back almost 9 USD. I hate tariffs in general, but I particularly detest the way Switzerland has been treated by the US in terms of tariffs, but that’s another issue for another day… we enjoyed a nice cup of coffee.

a group of people sitting outside a building

a street with a building and people sitting at tables

a street with shops on the side

a room with tables and chairs

a group of men standing behind a counter in a coffee shop

a table and chairs on a deck

a cup of coffee and a glass of water

a boy sitting in a chair drinking from a white bowl

We still had a bit of time before church and used it to enjoy the beauty of Basel.

a river with boats and buildings in the background

a man and child wearing helmets posing for a picture

a city by the water

a building with trees and people walking in the background

a group of people playing instruments in a courtyard

a blue heart with stickers on it

a group of people standing in front of a large building

a boy sitting on a ledge by a river

a bridge over a river

The service was fine…a fairly dry sermon, but lovely music.

a group of people in a church

a book with music notes on it

After church, the sun was beginning to set as we biked back home. The Anglican Church uses a chapel in the Basler Münster, a Reformed Protestant church built between 1019 and 1500 on the site of a former Roman fortress.

a large stone building with arched windows

a building with arched windows and plants

a building with arched windows and a garden

a stone walkway with arched doorways and a gate

a long hallway with stone arches and stone walls

Biking is a very dangerous risk in LA…I do not recommend it. But in Switzerland, you can cross busy thoroughfares and never worry about being hit by poor drivers.

a street with a clock tower and cars on it