Wanderwege Beider Basel - English Guided Hikes; Revisiting Vitra - Gabe Bullard

Did you know that Switzerland has around 65'000 kilometres of hiking trails? That's about 1.5 times the circumference of the earth! A huge number of municipalities and volunteer organisations maintain the hiking trails and offer hikes in all the cantons. In the Basel region, the Verein «Wanderwege beider Basel» (the association of hiking in both Basel cantons) is one of these organisations. About 50 volunteers offer services such as guided hikes. There's an overview over English guided hikes as a PDF on the Verein's website here.

We talked to Hanspeter Preiswerk, one of the Verein's hiking guides, about English guided hikes, the hikes closest to Basel, and how large the trail network is in the region (take a guess!). You can become a member of the Verein for just CHF 40.- a year. The next English guided hike coming up is the Linnerberg hike on June 1st along the divide of the two rivers Aare and Rhein. Get in touch with the Verein here. Listen to the interview here.

The Swiss furniture company Vitra has had factory space in Weil am Rhein, Germany, for decades. But the campus became a tourist destination 35 years ago. The Vitra Design Museum opened in 1989, and was among the first dedicated design museums anywhere in the world. Since then, the campus has added new buildings from famous architects, and visits have grown. On an average day, you can find picnickers, architecture students, and selfie-snapping tourists. The English Show's Gabe Bullard reported on the campus's growth for the Washington Post, and shared some of what he learned.

Our music theme this week was all about 80s hair bands. In the dynamic realm of 1980s heavy metal, the hair bands emerged as a cultural phenomenon, embodying the spirit of the era with their flamboyant style and larger-than-life presence. One of the most defining features of 80s metal hair bands was their extravagant hairstyles, which defied gravity and reached towering heights. We played songs by some of the most iconic hair bands:

Quiet Riot - Cum on Feel the Noize

Scorpions - Rock You Like A Hurricane

Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It

Mötley Crüe - Shout At The Devil

Van Halen - Runnin' with the Devil

Europe - The Final Countdown