Basel (Basel)

Basel is in northwest Switzerland, at the bend where the Rhine stops flowing west and turns north. The city borders France and Germany, and the airport that serves it is on the French side. It is the capital of the canton of Basel-Stadt and the country’s third-largest city by population.

The river divides the city into two parts: Grossbasel, on the left bank, with the old town on the hill, and Kleinbasel, on the right bank. On the upper part are the cathedral, the Basler Münster, made of red sandstone with a roof of colorful tiles, and the Pfalz terrace overlooking the river. Lower down, in the market square, the town hall draws attention with its red façade covered in paintings.

Basel is a city of museums. The Kunstmuseum houses the art collection the city bought in 1661 and opened to the public, one of the oldest in Europe. The Museum Tinguely, on the Rhine bank, brings together the machines of sculptor Jean Tinguely, and the Fondation Beyeler, in Riehen, displays modern art in a Renzo Piano building set in a park.

The Rhine is part of daily life: four man-powered ferries cross the river carried only by the current, and in summer many residents swim downstream. In winter, the Basler Fasnacht, the city’s carnival, fills the streets with drums, piccolos, and lanterns. From the local cuisine come the Basler Läckerli, honey-and-spice biscuits linked to the city for centuries.

This destination brings together 1 city: Basel.