City trailBasel, Switzerland

Basel scavenger hunt for kids and families

Basel is a city built for walking, which makes it a good city for a hunt. This is a self-guided scavenger hunt you play on a phone: nine stops through the old town, each one a thing to find and photograph, with the app checking every find on the spot. No booking, no guide, no set start time. Open it when you get there and go.

Get the appSee the stops
Stops
9
Ages
4–14
Plan
With Pro
App languages
8
Where
Old town and the Rhine
Booking
None

snap it and it counts

How the hunt works

  1. Go to the stop

    Each stop has a zone around it, so it only counts when you're really there.

  2. Snap it

    Take a photo and the app checks it shows the right thing.

  3. Collect the set

    Tick off every stop at your own pace. Stop for food whenever you like; your progress is saved.

Nobody can tick off the Basel Münster from a café two streets away, which is exactly why children take it seriously.

Adventures

Vote the next city in

BristolWant a trail here?
This example plays the Bath trail.
What happens in this example
  1. The trails list, with a colour for each kind of trail. Filter it, or open the Bath city trail.
  2. The Bath in Honey Stone trail: 8 stops, with Pro. The first stop, the Roman Baths, says you're in the zone.
  3. The stop: a drawn map shows you're here, with a hint about what to look for.
  4. Snap it and the app checks the photo.
  5. Found! Stop 1 of 8 is done. Bath Abbey is next, and that's the end of this example.

what you'll find

The Basel trail

9 stops to find. Here they are.

City trailWith Pro

Basel Landmarks

The icons of Basel, from the Münster to the Rhine. Nine geofenced stops the app only counts when you are actually standing there.

  1. Stop 1: The Basel MünsterRed sandstone cathedral with two spires, standing above the Rhine.
  2. Stop 2: The Münster whispering archA round arch at the base of the Georgsturm where a whisper carries to the far side. The one most families remember.
  3. Stop 3: The red Rathaus on MarktplatzThe painted red town hall on the market square.
  4. Stop 4: The Tinguely FasnachtsbrunnenJean Tinguely's kinetic fountain on Theaterplatz, machines splashing in the water.
  5. Stop 5: The Mittlere BrückeThe Middle Bridge over the Rhine, one of the oldest crossings on the river.
  6. Stop 6: The SpalentorBasel's medieval city gate, west of the centre.
  7. Stop 7: A Basel drinking fountainThe city has hundreds of ornate public fountains. Any of them counts.
  8. Stop 8: A green BVB tramThe classic green Basel tram. Easy points while you wait to cross.
  9. Stop 9: A Rhine ferryBasel's four ferries have no engine at all. The current pulls them across.

good questions

Questions parents ask

How much does the Basel scavenger hunt cost?

The Scavvi app and its daily hunt are free. City trails come with Scavvi Pro, £2.99 a month or £19.99 a year, cancel any time in the App Store or Google Play.

What ages is it for?

Roughly four to fourteen. Younger children do the finding and the photographing; older ones tend to take over the map and start racing. A grown-up can read the stops out for children who are not reading yet.

Do we need to book or start at a set time?

No. There is no booking, no guide and no time slot. Open the app in Basel, start the trail and stop whenever you like. Your progress is saved.

How long does it take?

It depends entirely on how long you linger. The stops sit within a comfortable walk of the old town, and most families spread it across an afternoon with stops for food and the river.

How does the app know we actually found something?

Two checks. Each stop has a zone around it, so it only counts when you are there, and the app checks your photo shows the right thing. That is what makes it a hunt rather than a checklist.

Does it work in other languages?

The app itself speaks eight: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch and Japanese. The city trail stops are written in English for now.

What if it rains?

Most of the stops are outdoors, so a proper downpour will cut it short. The everyday hunts in the app, like finding something red or something shiny, work indoors too, which is the usual rainy-afternoon fallback.

Playing in Basel?

The app and its daily hunt are free. City trails come with Scavvi Pro. Download it before you go and the trail will be waiting when you get there.

Get the app

going somewhere else?

More city trails