Day 1 in Basel
Welcome to Basel, the third-largest city in Switzerland nestled
in the north-western corner of the country!
Upon arrival, you will go through customs and immigration. Should you opt to purchase a transfer to your
hotel; a representative will be waiting for you as you exit immigration. Arrive at your hotel, check in and do not
give in to jet lag! There is so much for
you to see and do.
Basel
shares a border with France and Germany. The city is split in two by the river Rhine
and connected by 6 bridges. Basel is fairly compact and easy to get around on
foot. It is famous for its world-class art galleries, fairytale-esque old town,
and delectable chocolate.
Start off by exploring the old town of
Basel, this is where most of the tourist attractions of the city
can be found. If you don`t know where to begin, consider taking a guided
walking tour and learn about the history and its rich cultural
heritage.
The historic
Marktplatz with the beautifully colorful Rathaus (town hall) is
located right in the center of Basel`s old town. Although the 500-year old
Rathaus building is still used for administrative purposes, you can walk around
the entrance courtyard and view the murals on the walls. The Marktplatz square is where you`ll find the market stalls filled with delicious local
products, fresh vegetables, fruits and flowers. This is a lively place and a
good way to spare some hours wandering around.
Continue to meander through the quaint alleyways and
fairytale-like buildings of old town. While here, grab a bite to eat at any of the numerous
restaurants offering up delicious regional dishes. We recommend you try the
traditional Swiss dish Rosti, a potato dish that has a
simple elegance to it and is delicious washed down with a cold beer. Proscht!
After lunch, take a walk up the cobbled Spalenberg hill to the Spalentor, the most
impressive of the three remaining old
city gates. It dates back to the 14th century and the
central square tower features colorful green tiles.
Wander back down Leonhardsgraben to Barfusserplatz (or `Barefoot Square` in English). `Barfi`,
as it is now affectionately known by locals, is named after the Franciscan
monks who established an order here during the 13th century. Visitors and locals alike
will generally use it as a meeting point, due to its central location and the
fact that it has no less than eight tram lines passing through. It is also the
site of the Historical Museum
of Basel.
Walk towards the Elisabethenkirche,
stopping to admire the strangely hypnotic Tinguely fountain. Constructed by local artist Jean
Tinguely in 1977, the fountain is made up of nine mechanical sculptures and is
a famous Basel landmark. It is peculiar and mesmerizing sight!.
Rising majestically above the fountain and the theatre is the Elisabethenkirche itself, a
beautiful 19th century
neo-Gothic building. It was actually commissioned by a wealthy
Swiss businessman and remains one of the more underrated Basel tourist
attractions.
Spend
your first evening in Basel enjoying the city`s fantastic theaters. The Theatre
Basel showcases an eclectic mix of opera, ballet and theater
performances, including Tweje, the ballet of Richard
Wherlock. The Musical Theater Basel offers a diverse range
of high-quality theater productions, such as Disney`s Lion
King and The Beauty and the Beast. Both
theaters represent the best of Swiss, international arts, and culture and are
definitely worth a visit.
Day 2 in Basel
Wake up early
today to continue exploring Basel and make your way to the St Alban neighborhood,
considered to be the greenest district in Basel and also the most prestigious.
With grand mansions guarded by ivy-colored gates, picture-perfect windowsills
overflowing with flowers and pockets of greenery amongst the charming,
pastel-colored buildings, St Alban is truly a treat for the eyes.
For the love of
geography, head to the far north side of the city to stand on the border of three countries.
Located on a walkway jutting out into the Rhine is the Dreiländereck.
This represents the geographical point where the borders of the three countries
of Switzerland, France and Germany meet. The precise geographical point is unfortunately in
the Rhine itself, but this point is the closest you can get. There is a small
monument there, representing peace between the three countries. You can
actually also walk between the three countries. Make sure you have your
passport with you, just in case.
In the afternoon, stop over to the hipster district of Klybeck
situated beside the old train tracks along the Rhine. Here you will find a
makeshift outdoor hangout with an eclectic array of colorful pop up bars in
shipping containers and junkyard fins. Walk a bit further down and you`ll also
find Club Nordstern, a really cool large boat bar.
The Markthalle Food Court is a great place to stop in for
lunch. This is a large food court located in an old converted market, offering
a great casual dining atmosphere with a diverse range of food choices on offer.
The prices are still quite expensive, but a bit cheaper than eating out at a
restaurant in the old town. At night the bar is open and the lights are dimmed
creating a relaxing ambiance, complete with music, and candles on every table.
Enjoy the remaining part of your afternoon
just meandering around and taking in all of the sights! Admire the many
beautiful buildings and take in the natural beauty. There are also so many
shops to walk in and explore, if you`re looking for treats or souvenirs.
Make your way to the Rhine
river for sunset, the action moves north to Uferstrasse. During the
summer months, more than half a dozen makeshift bars pop up to occupy a strip
running between railway lines and industrial architecture on one side and the
Rhine river on the other.
The main stretch of the Rhine through Basel city center is home to
four river ferries, all at different intervals. Each ferry
goes from one bank to the other in about 5 minute and is well worth the small
fare to get a unique view of the city.
The other way to take a boat ride on the Rhine is on a city
and harbor tour. There are various tours you can take with regular
cruises on the Rhine from March to October. There`s a one-hour harbor tour
that`s perfect for seeing the major sights from the water.
At the end of the day, enjoy a delicious dinner at any of the
atmospheric restaurants that sit on the Rhine River. There are a many to choose
from offering beautiful terrace seating with a view of the river.
Day 3 in Basel
On your last day in Basel spend your
day visiting a few of the many museums that Basel has to offer. You will find
over 40 museums and exhibition centers plus some world-renowned annual
festivals within the city offering a hefty dose of culture. There`s a toy museum full of doll
houses, teddy bears and other toys, displaying how toys have changed over the
years. There is also the Fondation
Beyeler, which boasts some really unique art pieces on display.
They offer special classes and guided tours. The building itself is a piece of
art on its own and also features a gorgeous outdoor garden.
We recommend a visit to the Papiermuhle (Paper Mill Museum)
set on a medieval canal with an operating waterwheel, an old paper mill has
been turned into a museum of writing, printing and paper, show the printing and
papermaking processes with actual working machinery. You can watch the laborious production of handmade paper,
explore the evolution of printing from before Gutenberg's press through the
demise of lead type in the 1980s, and see how books are bound. Displays follow
the development of writing from primitive pictographs through modern
typography.
Another
highly recommended museum worth visiting is the Kunstmuseum Basel
(Museum of Art). This
museum, enhanced by the added exhibition space of a 2015 wing, is considered
the finest collection of paintings in Switzerland, representing both old
masters and modern art. On the first floor are the old masters and a collection
of French and Dutch paintings. Outstanding among these are the 15th-century
Heilsspiegelaltar (Mirror of Salvation Altar) by Konrad Witz, 16th-century
portraits by Holbein the Younger, Crucifixion by Mathias Grünewald, and
Rembrandt's David with Goliath's Head from 1627. You'll find major works by
Gauguin, Van Gogh, Corot, Cézanne, Braque, Picasso, Kandinsky, Léger, Chagall,
Klee, Dali, Max Ernst, and others, along with later works and special
exhibitions.
If history is more your
thing, pay a visit to the Historisches
Museum (Historical Museum). The
14th-century Barfüsserkirche (Church of the Barefoot Friars) was renovated in
the 1970`s to house the Historical Museum with significant collections on local
history and culture. It showcases particularly the city`s unique position at
the crossroads between Swiss, German, and French cultures. In the nave of the
church are the Late Gothic tapestries and the curious Lällenkönig (Babbling
King), a crowned head with a movable tongue and eyes that was the emblem of
Gross-Basel in the 17th century. Remarkable exhibits deal with the importance
of silk ribbon manufacture in Basel from the late 18th through the 19th
century.
If time allows,
finish your day at the Basler Münster
(Basel Minster) set atop the highest point on Münsterhügel (Minster Hill).
This red sandstone
building with a gorgeous mosaic roof has a mixture of gothic and roman
architecture. The cathedral is free to enter buit to climb the 250 steps to the
top for panoramic views of the city you have a pay a small entry fee. Once you
climb to the very top you will be rewarded with the best views of the Rhine and
the city.
End your day checking out some of the breweries
and pubs in Basel, there are a good number of them to choose from. If
you really want to get to know Basel`s beer culture, you need to check out Feldschlösschen
brewery is in Rheinfelden, about 6 miles east of Basel, in what looks
like a giant castle, complete with brewery horses. They offer tours Monday to
Friday, twice a day at 9 am and 2 pm. The only problem is, the guided tours are
not given in English. Even if you can only go on a tour in German, it`s
still worth it to see the magnificent brewery.
If craft
beer is not your thing, there are plenty of other things to choose from after a
hard days cultural sightseeing. There are a variety of dance clubs and live
music venues across the city. You`ll also discover numerous smaller cocktail
bars and pubs.
For
more sophisticated entertainment tastes,
the Basel Symphony and Basel Chamber orchestras have
regular performances. Basel`s music
school often has
excellent and reasonably priced concerts and recitals from students and
visiting musicians.
Additional Days in Basel
Should you be able to spend additional
days in Basel we recommend you continue to explore in and around the city. Go
on a chocolate tasting tour. There is a 2.5 hour chocolate
walking tour in the old city that brings you to some of the top chocolate shops
and traditional confectionaries, plus a stop at a chocolate factory to see the process
of making chocolate. Of course, there`s a lot of tasting and sampling going on
during the tour too.
You may consider taking a day trip to German wine country.
Although
this part of Switzerland is not particularly known as a wine region, there is,
nonetheless, a lot of wine produced in the surrounding area. One of the wine
regions closest to the city is in neighboring Germany, called Markgraflerland,
where the Gutedel grape is grown. Other popular grape varieties in
the region include Müller-Thurgau, Grau Burgunder, Weiss Burgunder, and
Spätburgunder, which is also known as Pinot Noir.
You
can easily take a day trip to this wine growing region of Germany. You can rent
a car in Basel and drive the 20 or so kilometers to Mullheim, the center of
Markgraflerland, or you can take a train and get around by taxi once you
arrive. There are a number of great wineries you can stop by for a tour and
tasting, within a few minutes of Mullheim.
And yet another attraction worth discovering is the Zoologischer
Garten (Zoo). Basel`s large zoo is
affectionately known as the Zolli by locals. Founded in 1874 with 510 European
animals, today the zoo is known more for exotic species. With predators,
primates, mammals, reptiles, birds, and aquatic life, the population ranges
from seahorses to elephants, the latter now enjoying a new elephant enclosure
added in 2015 with wallowing pools, showers, and a savannah-like environment.
The lion enclosure and monkey house are highlights, along with the penguins in
the vivarium, which also houses fish and reptiles. The aviary houses both
indigenous and exotic birds, as well as birds of prey. The zoo has been
particularly successful in breeding rhinoceros and cheetahs.
Your Last Day in Basel
Depart your hotel for the airport for your return home. We recommend that you purchase a private transfer, if so a representative will meet you at the hotel in time to take you to the airport for your flight out.