This time I have a completely different route to propose, quite unusual and twisted, as you look at the map. And at the same time very interesting.
It can be conventionally divided into two thematic stages. The first concerns architecture, specifically buildings designed by Rudolf Steiner or by artists inspired by his work. It leads you through the streets of the housing estates built on Dornach Hill.
Rudolf Steiner – the founder of anthroposophy
By way of explanation, let me add that Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was first and foremost a philosopher and mystic. He devoted many years to exploring the legacy of the German poet Johann Wolfgang Goethe. And at the beginning of the 20th century, he initiated a spiritual movement – anthroposophy.
The main premise of this movement is direct knowledge of the spiritual world, supported by individual experience, spiritual practice (mainly meditation) and the holistic human transformation associated with this practice.
Dornach Hill as a colony for artists and philosophers
It was the Dornach Hill in Arlesheim and the impressive building of the College of Spiritual Sciences – the Goetheanum – erected on it, that became the headquarters of the Anthroposophical Society.
The current Goetheanum II building rests on the foundations of the Society’s earlier headquarters, which burned down in 1923. Rudolf Steiner, however, did not live to see his second project realised. He died in 1925, at the age of 64.
Buildings with unusual shapes
The buildings designed by Steiner are distinguished by their unusual shapes, curved roofs, unusual staircases and gates. Some of them, such as the heating plant (right next to the Goetheanum), look like a set piece from a fantasy film.
On Dornach Hill, there are quite a few houses designed in the Steiner style, where artists and philosophers once lived. There should be a small plaque next to each one with information.
I would add that special guided tours of the area are organised. To this end, four architectural paths, marked with different colours, have been developed with the support of the municipalities of Dornach and Arlesheim. The starting point for each of them is the Goetheanum.
I, in turn, when drawing this trail on the map, tried to include as many streets as possible where interesting buildings stand. For this reason, walking around Dornach Hill can be like going in circles. However, this is normal in this area, and you probably won’t be the only one who walks so intensively through the residential areas on this hill.
Birseck Castle and beautiful gardens – Ermitage
The trail continues above the town, through wooded groves, to the second leg of the tour, Birseck Castle and the nature reserve – Ermitage.
Granted, the castle itself is not very grand, and looks best from a distance. However, its location high on a rock, the view from the top and the beautiful ponds in the area (part of the Ermitage nature reserve – Chilchholz), encourage you to explore the place. In addition, at the foot of the castle there are grottoes (Apollo’s grotto) and unparalleled gouges in the rocks.
The trail runs around the castle, but it is also possible to enter the castle courtyard between Easter and 31 October, every Wednesday and Sunday, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
The trail ends not far from the castle, at the train station in Arlesheim Dorf.
