It felt like we were taking it easy. Yes, there were a few hills the first day. But we had so much time to cover not many kilometers (Schaffhausen to Basel in 3 days), that the pace seemed almost leisurely. Especially since through this area, the ambience is all lovely farmland, pretty little towns, and the swiftly flowing Rhine.
Schaffhausen is known for its oriels (bay windows above the ground floor). They were once a status symbol for the rich merchants in this town which was built up simply because shippers needed a place to off-load their goods in order to get around the falls.
Schaffhausen Oriels
Since the bikepath often took us along hiking paths through the woods along the river, we saw a few remains of cement bunkers, left from World War II. Often German territory is directly across the Rhine from Switzerland.
WWII Cement Bunker
Wild Roadside Poppies
Male Swan by Coot Nest
We stopped at Augusta Raurica a partially reconstructed Roman amphitheater, a little east of Basel. For another point of view, search on “Augusta Raurica, Augst, Switzerland” and zoom in on the satellite view.
Augusta Raurica--How it was, how it is