Joining Freiburg im Breisgau with Motz on the Via Gebennensis

[Peterexpatkiwi]

As part of my walk from home I was planning to walk through Switzerland on the BJ3 (Basel Jura Drei seen weg) basically, Basel - Geneva. Thence, onto the Via Gebennensis.
I love Switzerland but it is many, many years since I was last there and I had no idea how incredibly expensive it is nowadays. I've just been looking at hostels and the cheapest bunk bed that I came across was 40 euros. Many were much more. I'm not saying cheaper options don't exist but there was a limit to how much I wanted to research before considering other options.

The alternative is basically creating my own route through France, at least part of which is likely to be on the GR59. I'd like to join the Via Gebennensis, probably at Motz.

The easiest takeoff point for me is Freiburg im Breisgau. F- Motz on the BJ3 is appx. 420km; utilising the rough route below it's Appx. 500km. From a planning perspective at this point I'm working on 25 kilometers per day, so that's just three days extra, all of which will be in France. France appears to give me more possibilities both accommodation wise and also from the perspective of camping (both free camping and officially). Whilst it appears free camping in Switzerland is allowed above the tree line, if you're in a national park or a protected area the fines are astronomical. (I have no idea how stringently this is enforced). And Swiss campsites are seriously expensive.

Several acquaintances have free camped in France over the last year with zero issues, plus a couple of members of the forum. In addition to which there are far more official campsites and they're normally very reasonably priced. Food and accommodation in general are cheaper in France so it would appear that my extra three days would actually save me a significant amount of money!

Does anyone have any experience of this area, or has anybody done something similar? Am I missing something that would make one route better than the other?

My first rough map ( yet to be refined).

https://mapy.cz/s/ponababaco

 

[mspath]

If you write the term Motz in the search box at the top of this page you will find several earlier forum posts regarding this French place and trail.

Happy planning and Carpe diem!

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

If you write the term Motz in the search box at the top of this page you will find several earlier forum posts regarding this French place and trail.

Happy planning and Carpe diem!

Umm - I did, and failed to find anything relevant. From what I can see the trail they refer to is the Via Gebennensis, which I want to join - but first I have to get there!

I also searched for the GR59, which brought up one semi - relevant thread (Cluny/Vezelay) a question similar in nature to mine in that at least it featured the same start point. But without any reference to the Swiss option (BJ3). I know we have forum members who reside in Switzerland, plus a couple at least who have walked through, but from what I can see they've taken a different Camino. (Not the one starting in Basel). Hopefully one or more of them will respond.

Edited to add: similarly, I searched Freiburg im Breisgau, it bought up an excellent resource from @lovingkindness , but that leads to Taize - wrong direction.

I've also read pretty much all of the threads on the Via Gebennensis, which work for the next stage but don't help me to get to it in the first place.

 

[lovingkindness]

Guten Tag @Peterexpatkiwi
I have walked from Freiburg im Breisgau to the religious community of Taizé (10 kms from Cluny) in La Soane, France. It was a splendid three week walk which included walking through the ancient vinyards of Bourgogne.

Afterwards I put together a resource and posted it here on the Forum. Here is a link. You'll need to log in to download:

Freiburg im Breisgau – Taizé (Aug-Sept, 2018) : Stages, accommodation, helpful places & pdfs.

Three weeks along der Jakobsweg/le Chemin de St Jacques, from Germany to France. Regions: Freiburg im Breisgau, Alsace (Haut-Rhin), Franche-Compté...

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/resources/freiburg-im-breisgau-taize-aug-sept-2018.698/

 

[lovingkindness]

Whoops, i've just read your later post.... I'll have another read of it and see if there is anything else I know of.. Guten Weg, Pilger!

 

[mspath]

Once you are in France for additional pilgrim accommodation do ask about the donativo Chaine d'Hospitalité Locale in the local tourist offices. Those who offer pilgrims such hospitality do so for the pleasure meeting/greeting pilgrims as well as helping them.

During past years my husband and I ran a b&b/pilgrim house in our farmhouse facing the Marne river as part of the local Chaine. My first pilgrim shell from 2004 hung at the door marking it as a pilgrim place.

As your plans evolve and you progress it would be a pleasure to follow/read your posts.

 

[lovingkindness]

A splendid walk would be to follow a few Jakobswegs and other trails from Freiburg im Breisgau to Stein am Rhein (magnificent frescoes on building façades) then on to Sagens in Switzerland. From there one can hike the Swiss Alpine Pass Route (16 mountain passes) to Lac Leman, then either take a ferry to Geneva or walk somehow to your starting point.

I took my mother to Stein am Rhein in 2006. She loved it! The following year I hiked the Via Alpine as it is now known in Aug-Sept 2007. It was terrific!

The Via Alpina in the Swiss Alps: A guide to the trek, by Alpine Exploratory

An introduction to walking the Via Alpina in the Swiss Alps.

www.alpineexploratory.com

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Yes, on one hand I would very much like to walk in Switzerland. The downside of that is the cost. It appears that it would cost me somewhere around 100/120 Euros - per day. Perhaps somebody with recent, relevant experience i.e from 2022/23 no earlier could comment on that. (The reason I am being so specific is that costs have climbed substantially, and I really need to consider my budget).

Because of my plans for 2025/26 my budget is rather limited - hence why I plan to camp at least part of the time. And if I can free camp, even better still!

I used to enjoy camping when I was younger, whilst it's still has its plus's my body doesn't really appreciate it so much anymore! I've got the gear (although I'll have to upgrade some of it), so I might as well get some more use out of it.
Much like staying in Hostels/ Albergues, it's a means to an end.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Once you are in France for additional pilgrim accommodation do ask about the donativo Chaine d'Hospitalité Locale in the local tourist offices. Those who offer pilgrims such hospitality do so for the pleasure meeting/greeting pilgrims as well as helping them.

Thank you, I was aware of them but it's a very timely reminder

As your plans evolve and you progress it would be a pleasure to follow/read your posts

Thank you, I shall. The early part of my journey (and preliminary plan) is already on the forum, once I finalise my plans I will continue the thread

 

[caminka]

As part of my walk from home I was planning to walk through Switzerland on the BJ3 (Basel Jura Drei seen weg) basically, Basel - Geneva. Thence, onto the Via Gebennensis.
I love Switzerland but it is many, many years since I was last there and I had no idea how incredibly expensive it is nowadays. I've just been looking at hostels and the cheapest bunk bed that I came across was 40 euros. Many were much more. I'm not saying cheaper options don't exist but there was a limit to how much I wanted to research before considering other options.

The alternative is basically creating my own route through France, at least part of which is likely to be on the GR59. I'd like to join the Via Gebennensis, probably at Motz.

The easiest takeoff point for me is Freiburg im Breisgau. F- Motz on the BJ3 is appx. 420km; utilising the rough route below it's Appx. 500km. From a planning perspective at this point I'm working on 25 kilometers per day, so that's just three days extra, all of which will be in France. France appears to give me more possibilities both accommodation wise and also from the perspective of camping (both free camping and officially). Whilst it appears free camping in Switzerland is allowed above the tree line, if you're in a national park or a protected area the fines are astronomical. (I have no idea how stringently this is enforced). And Swiss campsites are seriously expensive.

Several acquaintances have free camped in France over the last year with zero issues, plus a couple of members of the forum. In addition to which there are far more official campsites and they're normally very reasonably priced. Food and accommodation in general are cheaper in France so it would appear that my extra three days would actually save me a significant amount of money!

Does anyone have any experience of this area, or has anybody done something similar? Am I missing something that would make one route better than the other?

My first rough map ( yet to be refined).

https://mapy.cz/s/ponababaco

Do you know this accommodation listings for swiss caminos?

Les hébergements - Viajacobi4

Liste des hébergements par région en Suisse Si tu as entrepris de marcher sur le Chemin en Suisse, nous te prions instamment de réserver ton hébergement par téléphone un jour à l’avance, pour t'assurer qu’il est bien ouvert. Pour tout renseignement: hebergement@viajacobi4.ch Liste des...

viajacobi4.ch

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Do you know this accommodation listings for swiss caminos?

Les hébergements - Viajacobi4

Liste des hébergements par région en Suisse Si tu as entrepris de marcher sur le Chemin en Suisse, nous te prions instamment de réserver ton hébergement par téléphone un jour à l’avance, pour t'assurer qu’il est bien ouvert. Pour tout renseignement: hebergement@viajacobi4.ch Liste des...

viajacobi4.ch

No, that one's new to me - many thanks!

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

@caminka, as I read it the prices range from 30 to 50 euros per night, however it's dated 2017. Do you happen to know if this is still current and they just haven't changed the date on the bottom of the guide?

 

[caminka]

Yes, on one hand I would very much like to walk in Switzerland. The downside of that is the cost. It appears that it would cost me somewhere around 100/120 Euros - per day. Perhaps somebody with recent, relevant experience i.e from 2022/23 no earlier could comment on that. (The reason I am being so specific is that costs have climbed substantially, and I really need to consider my budget).

Because of my plans for 2025/26 my budget is rather limited - hence why I plan to camp at least part of the time. And if I can free camp, even better still!

I used to enjoy camping when I was younger, whilst it's still has its plus's my body doesn't really appreciate it so much anymore! I've got the gear (although I'll have to upgrade some of it), so I might as well get some more use out of it.
Much like staying in Hostels/ Albergues, it's a means to an end.

My numbers from 2023 Via Jacobi.

Rorschah Hafen - St. Gallen, 14,5km, pilgerherberge bed 20, food 0, other 65 (phone card)

St. Gallen - Aemisegg, 24,5km, gasthaus aemisegg hp 55 (drinks were extra so didn't take them), other 0

Aemisegg - St. Gallenkappel 26,4km, schlaf im stroh tschumperlin bb 28 + 7 small dinner (closed restaurant), food 0, other 1

St. Gallenkappel - Rapperswil 20,6km (detour via ritterhaus bubikon), pilgerherberge bed 25, food 8,1, other 14

Rapperswil - Trachslau 24,5km, martin kalin bb 30, food 29,2 (pizza and cookies), other 3,5

Trachslau - Ingebohl/Brunnen 23,6km, schlaf im stroh bucheli bb 29, food 6,20, other 21,5

Ingebohl - Stans 23,4km, schlaf im stroh waser bb 30, food 5,85, other 9,1 incl. boat

Stans - Giswil 28,5km, gertrud berchtold bb 45, food 2,9, other 2

Giswil - Brienzwiller 20km, pilgerherberhe hp 40, food 0, other 4,6

Brienzwiller - Interlaken 28,6km, hostel villa sonnenhof bb 35, food 31,85 (pizza and shopping), other 4,5

Interlaken - Spiez - Uebeschli 19km, bruno schneider bb 35, food 0, other 21,3 incl. train to Spiez

Uebeschli - Schwarzenburg 28km, marlise nydegger bb 40, food 4,5, other 2,7

Schwarzenburg - Fribourg 22km, couvent des cordeliers bed 33, food 1,85, other 23

Fribourg - Romont 30km, erika demierre bb 50, food 14, other 4,5

Romont - Montepreveyres 31km, gite el jire bed 10, food 10,8, other 1,5

Montepreveyres - St. Sulpice/Ecublens 27km, ruth jordan bed 20, food 20,5, other 5,5

Ecublens - Gland 31km, gite pelerin 10, food 0, other 0

Gland - Versoix 30km, gite pelerin in gland bed 10, food 10,2, other 10,80 incl. train to gland

Versoix - Geneve 13km, geneva hostel bb 48, food 10,2, other 55,6 incl. train to versoix and couchette reservation

Rapperswil - Fishingen 26km, kloster fishingen bb 47,5, dinner 18,5, other 5,5

Fishingen - Merstetten 27km, pilgerherberge bed 25, food 3,25, other 0

 

[caminka]

@caminka, as I read it the prices range from 30 to 50 euros per night, however it's dated 2017. Do you happen to know if this is still current and they just haven't changed the date on the bottom of the guide?

I think it depends on the guide. The main route was updated recently because I just saw new hostel in geneva.

For real prices see my post above.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I'd heard about 'sleeping in the straw' (schlaf im stroh) , I didn't realise that it was taken quite so literally! As somebody who takes antihistamine daily in summer for hay fever I'm not sure how advisable that is for me. (Not because of the straw itself, but the dust inherent in the environment). I see that they give you blankets, do you just use that underneath you and then sort yourself out (sleep sheet or bag) on top?

Logically they must have toilets, did all of these places also have showers? (I've looked at several in various websites but not all of them specify)

 

[caminka]

I'd heard about 'sleeping in the straw' (schlaf im stroh) , I didn't realise that it was taken quite so literally! As somebody who takes antihistamine daily in summer for hay fever I'm not sure how advisable that is for me. (Not because of the straw itself, but the dust inherent in the environment). I see that they give you blankets, do you just use that underneath you and then sort yourself out (sleep sheet or bag) on top?

Logically they must have toilets, did all of these places also have showers? (I've looked at several in various websites but not all of them specify)

Yes, you sleep quite literally in the straw. Above a barn full of cows too.

I'm sorry to hear about your hay problem. Yes, there is inevitably dust in the air, but there wasn't so much that it was noticeable. All three I stayed in had windows.

There were blankets in all. My regime was this: puffing up the straw and filling possible depressions, spreading out on top the provided blanket, spreading out my sleeping bag and pillow, securing an extra blanket in case I need it.

They all had showers and toilets, the first and third also a small kitchen, from the top of my head I don't recall a kitchen for the second one.