A sacred location with sweeping views - St. Chrischona
Overview
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Intro
Steeped in legend, the pilgrimage site of St. Chrischona offers magnificent views of the Jura and Alps. It was an important place of pilgrimage as early as the Middle Ages and, since 1840, has been home to the Pilgermission St. Chrischona (“Pilgrim Mission”, now Chrischona International).
The pilgrimage site of St. Chrischona is visible from afar, as it is located on Basel's “local mountain”. Set amid steep meadowland dotted with trees and gardens, the ensemble forms a distinctive skyline. The late-Gothic pilgrimage church, still largely in its original condition, sits proudly on the hilltop within a walled churchyard. It is surrounded by a number of notable mission buildings dating from between 1860 and 1929. The church is accessed via a narrow cobbled alleyway that leads through two gateways. The south-facing gravel terrace with its benches and old chestnut trees offers breathtaking panoramas of the Jura and Alps.
Legend has it that the pilgrimage church dates from the time of the virgin Christiana, who died by the banks of the Rhine on her return journey from Rome and was buried here. Her canonisation in 1504 heralded the heyday for pilgrimages to the site, though this ended with the Reformation. In 1840, Christian Friedrich Spittler rented the dilapidated church for a monthly sum of five Swiss francs and used it to found a mission school. As of 1869, his successor, Carl Heinrich Rappard, established the first evangelist school in a German-speaking country, giving rise to a number of free-church communes in German-speaking Switzerland, Germany and Alsace. Today, the St. Chrischona Theological Seminary offers various degree programmes in the fields of Theology, Theology & Education and Theology & Music.
Trip tip
There are many ways of exploring the Chrischonaberg. E-bikes, which can be rented on site, are a popular means of transport on Basel's “local mountain”. Two restaurants, a small hotel and a conference centre invite visitors to linger. Hikers can ascend the 520-metre-high hill by taking one of the various trails leading up from Riehen.
ISOS
ISOS is the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of national importance. The inventory is maintained by the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) and lists the most significant settlements in Switzerland. Today, some 1,200 places are included in the inventory, from hamlets right through to cities. The inventory provides information on the development and identity of the settlements listed in it, thereby contributing to the preservation of architectural diversity in Switzerland and promoting both sustainable planning and a high-quality Baukultur.
