Sarasinpark

Sarasinpark in Riehen is a public landscape park in the canton of Basel-Stadt and, together with Wenkenpark, one of the two largest publicly accessible parks in the municipality. It sits in a leafy residential area just beyond Basel's city limits, close to the German border, and still carries the layout of the country estates it grew out of.

How did Sarasinpark come about?

The land was once farmed, with farmhouses and vineyards. The park merges the grounds of three Baroque country estates: Werthemann-Stähelin, Le Grand and Elbs-Birr. The oldest, Elbs-Birr, began in 1694-95 as a wine estate and was later enlarged by Samuel Heusler into a Baroque country seat. The park's present character follows an English landscape garden of the mid-19th century. Its name comes from the Sarasin family, tied to these estates.

What is there to see?

• A Baroque lime avenue, preserved to this day and forming the backbone of a stroll.
• The Orangerie, built in 1836 in the former English garden and attributed to Basel architect Melchior Berri. This classicist building is rated as architecturally significant and is listed in the federal ISOS inventory among the features of the Le Grand estate.
• The former manor house, owned by the municipality of Riehen since 1976 and, after renovation, used as a public music school.
• Open lawns and mature trees, with the park gradually being returned to its original structure.

Is the park open to everyone?

Yes. It is a public space rather than a private estate garden. The shift from private gardens to public park was the topic of guided tours run by the cantonal heritage office of Basel-Stadt. In the early 1980s a municipal hospital or a swimming pool was proposed for the site, but neither was built and the green space survived.

When and how to visit

The park is at its best from spring to early autumn, when the trees are in full leaf and the lawns invite a rest. A visit takes roughly 30 to 60 minutes, including the lime avenue and the Orangerie. It combines easily with a walk through central Riehen and a visit to nearby Wenkenpark.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Sarasinpark? In Riehen, a municipality in the canton of Basel-Stadt, Switzerland, just north-east of Basel.

Is there an entrance fee? No. The park is public and open to walkers.

Who designed the Orangerie? The 1836 Orangerie is attributed to the Basel architect Melchior Berri.

Is the park linked to Paul Sarasin, founder of Swiss national parks? The name refers to the Sarasin family, who held estates in Riehen. Paul Sarasin, the naturalist, belonged to the family and championed the national park idea in Switzerland, but the park itself is a landscaped garden, not a protected nature reserve.