Excursion Tips
Basel
is situated in the heart of Europe on the border between Switzerland, France and Germany, a truly trinational and cosmopolitan city. The city is not only a center of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, it is also known for its culture and the high quality of life.
Basel is characterised by a beautiful, well-preserved old city centre, the river Rhine and quiet parks. This clean, safe city offers a broad range of restaurants and bars, excellent shopping and endless recreational facilities for the whole family. The high living standards are valued by the local Basel residents and visitors alike.
If you want to spend a day in the city, you can take tram No. 10 that brings you right in the center. Hop off at the station «Bankverein or «Theater». The ride takes you about 25 minutes.
The Basler Münster (Cathedral)
Together with the Mittlere Brücke, the Basler Münster (Cathedral) is probably the most famous landmark in Basel. With its red sandstone walls, colourful roof tiles and twin towers, no other building adorns the cityscape of Basel like the Cathedral. A particularly beautiful panoramic view is offered by climbing the church towers.
Opening hours of the towers during summer time
Mon to Fri: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. / Sat 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sundays and public holidays: 11.30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Opening hours of the towers during winter time
Mon to Sat: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Sundays and public holidays: 11.30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Opening hours of the towers during Christmas time
Mon to Fri: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. / Sat: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Sundays and public holidays: 11.30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The Basel town hall
The City Hall is the seat of the Basel government and its parliament. In the midst of the Old Town, next to the market square it is particularly eyecatching with its red facade, the characteristic tower and playful frescoes. A visit to the city hall is particularly worthwhile because of the council rooms, the beautiful inner courtyard, the romantic arcades and the tower.
Museums
The residents of Basel are crazy about art! The museum city attracts with almost 40 museums, including internationally renowned institutions such as the Fondation Beyeler, the Art Museum and the Tinguely Museum . Not so well known but just as beautiful is the Toy Worlds Museum that emerged from a private teddy bear collection.
Theater Basel
The largest mixed-programme theatre company in Europe offers a broadly diverse repertoire, including dance, opera and theatre.
Stadtcasino Basel
The Stadtcasino is the most famous concert hall in the city and a first-class venue for events of all kinds. The sixth best concert hall in the world was beeing expanded in the existing architectural style according to the plans of the Basel star architects Herzog & de Meuron.
Ferry ride and swimming in the river Rhine
The four ferries “Wilde Maa”, “Leu”, “Vogel Gryff” and “Ueli” run between the five Rhine bridges in Basel, with which you can cross the Rhine without a motor and only by the force of the current. This type of transportation not only delights tourists, locals also make good use of it.
St. Alban ferry "Wild Maa" and St. Johann ferry "Ueli"
Weekends 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., during the week if the weather is nice and among request
Münster Ferry “Leu” and Klingental Ferry “Vogel Gryff”
Daily 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
The ferry trip can be wonderfully combined with a walk on the popular banks of the Rhine. Especially in the summer months, you will find residents and tourists sunbathing or jumping into the refreshing water. Try a swim in the Rhine yourself. To do this, you can go up the river to the Tinguely Museum, jump into the Rhine there and drift comfortably downstream. A very special and unforgettable experience!
Basel Zoo
If you have a few more hours available, a visit to the Basel Zoo is also a good idea, with or without children. The Zoological Gardens, known affectionately as “Zolli” by Basel's inhabitants, opened in Basel in 1874 and is home to a large number of indigenous and exotic animals.
Take tram No. 10 from «Arlesheim Dorf» in the direction of Rodersdorf. Hop off on station «Zoo». Travel time 25 minutes.
Basel Carnival with the «Morgenstreich»
Basel Carnival is part of the city’s identity – culturally speaking, it is at the heart of its creative energies and represents three days when the city goes wild. Owing to its uniqueness and quality, it has been added to the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list.
The «Morgenstreich» begins on Monday after Ash Wednesday at 4 a.m. When the bell rings from the Martins church, all the lights in the city center are extinguished. At the command "Morgestraich: Forward, march!" of the drum majors, the piccolos and drums of the formations sound from all alleys and streets. They all join in the traditional melody of the Morgenstreich march, which is only played on this occasion. In the completely darkened city, only the many different lanterns that are carried or pulled by the carnival people shine and cast their light on the many thousands of spectators from all over the world who want to experience this magical moment.
Basel Christmas market
Basel enjoys the reputation of being the most traditional Christmas city in Switzerland. In addition to the Christmas market, the wonderful Christmas lights, spectacular special exhibitions in the museums, the wish book and various concerts and events all contribute to this. Of course, Christmas shopping shouldn't be neglected either, which shouldn't be too difficult.
The «Herbstmesse» (Autumn fair)
Stroll past the stands, snack on sweet «Magenbrot» and treat yourself to a hot wine. The kids play, gaze in wonder and ride on the carousel. This is the autumn fair which takes place on different squares througout the city.
Further information about Basel can be found on www.basel.ch.
