Birs, Grellingen - Dornach
Kayak spot · Switzerland
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
57Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 10: Wind 2 kn gusting 10, Air 11 °C, Rain 14.1 mm
Wed 4 · 44 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 56 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 56 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Sun 8 · 60 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 48 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0.9 mm
Tue 10 · 62 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 14.1 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 336, poor
- Wed 444, poor
- Thu 557, fair
- Fri 656, fair
- Sat 756, fair
- Sun 860, good
- Mon 948, fair
- Tue 1062, good
- Wed 1170, good
- Thu 1257, fair
The spot in three facts
- Grade IIits hardest rapid III
- Moving waterthe water
- Best Jun–Aug7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 36, poor | 7 kn | 16kn | 5°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 44, poor | 7 kn | 18kn | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 57, fair | 3 kn | 10kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 56, fair | 1 kn | 6kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 56, fair | 3 kn | 9kn | 8°C | 0.6 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 60, good | 1 kn | 8kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 48, fair | 6 kn | 18kn | 12°C | 0.9 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 62, good | 2 kn | 10kn | 11°C | 14.1 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 70, good | 3 kn | 14kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 57, fair | 3 kn | 14kn | 14°C | 9.9 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Jun–Aug
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep6of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Wed 4 Nov
- Dec0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Birs, Grellingen - Dornach on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Birs, Grellingen - Dornach
More kayaking near here
5 places
- Birs, Naturschutzgebiet Reinacher Heide - Birskopf 6.8 km away
- Birs 11.3 km away
- Birs, Welle Joggeli, Basel 11.3 km away
- Birs, Welle Redingbrücke, Basel 11.8 km away
- Birs, Welle Forellenweg, Basel 12.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Birs, Grellingen - Dornach
A river section on the Birs, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade I to II, its hardest rapid III, on the international scale. Suits new paddlers and up, by its grade. None within 10 km, the nearest 16 km away. For new paddlers the best months are usually June, July and August, with about 7 good days in 7; in January and December, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Basel. Within 5 km we also list 1 climbing area.
- River Birs
- Grade Grade I to II, its hardest rapid III, on the international scale.
- Who it suits Suits new paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 16 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,850–US$3,420 each
about US$1,850–US$3,420 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to ZRH, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$490–US$1,020 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$188–US$315 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$463–US$765 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$450–US$832 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$262–US$483 |
| Total | about US$1,850–US$3,420 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Basel
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
21 min by car · 97 places to stay
about US$174/nightcountry average
About Basel its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$174 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 15h
About 15h door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → ZRH, direct, then 1h 35m by road
Flights ORD → ZRH on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Basel · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Basel · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Globepaddler 16 km
Parc des Eaux Vives 16 km
Parc des Eaux Vives 16 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits