Basel Travel Guide

 10 Reviews  I visited Basel Zoo during a visit to the city in April 2007. It is said that Basel Zoo is one of the most impressive zoos in Europe and, from my limited experience of European zoos, this is quite possibly true. It stands in impressive gardens and offers a large variety of wildlife to its... 

 10 Reviews  In the Markplatz is City Hall (Rathaus) the seat of the Government of the Canton of Basel - City. It has beebn located here since the 14th Century. It was enlarged in the 17th Century and the facade was painted by Hans Brock. In 1900 the Rathaus was extended with an addition of a wing on the left... 

 4 Reviews  Jean Tinguely was a modern sculptor with a great sense of humour. His fountain is one of the most entertaining works of art I know. The shallow basin is filled with a number of strange black machines that move, rattle and squeak with enormous effort while their sole purpose is splashing water... 

 3 Reviews  Basel resident and owner of a gallery Ernst Beyeler has collected modern art for more than 50 years. In the 1980s he started thinking about the future of his art collection. In the end he decided on building a new museum in the small town of Riehen, in rural setting. A foundation was set up, the... 

 5 Reviews  The Spalentor is one of the most beautiful city gates I have seen so far. It was built in the late 14th century. The adjacent city walls were deconstructed in the 19th century. The gate is decorated with (partly funny) figures (1473/74)on the outer side. 

 4 Reviews  The Kunstmuseum (Art Museum) is home of the largest public art collection in Switzerland. With its highlights of medieval pictures of Upper Rhine region and Dutch painters and works of the 19th/20th century it ranks among the most important museums worldwide. Large parts of the old pictures go back... 

 1 Review  The Dreiländereck what would mean "three countries corner" if translated, is exactly that. The point where Switzerland, Germany and France come together. The place would actually be in the water in the river Rhine (Rhein), but they have some sort of Marker on a warft you can walk on. To go there,... 

 2 Reviews  Photos: 1. Barfüsserplatz with the number 8 tram 2. Cyclist at Barfüsserplatz 3. Another cyclist at Barfüsserplatz 4. Yet another cyclist at Barfüsserplatz 5. One more cyclist at Barfüsserplatz Barfüsserplatz is a central square in Basel, named presumably after the Barfüsser order of monks. All I... 

 3 Reviews  The collections of the Historical Museum Basel are split up into four parts. The largest and most interesting one is IMO located in the Barfüsserkirche, the former Franciscan church. This church is said to be the most important building of Franciscan architecture north of the Alps - and really... 

 2 Reviews  Photos: 1. Swiss Paper Museum in the Basel Paper Mill 2. Streets by the Swiss Paper Museum in St Alban The Basel Paper Mill is high on my list of places to visit the next time I come to Basel. They say it is a working museum which shows how paper was typically made in the 18th century, and how it... 

 2 Reviews  Walk down the Rhine on the Kleinbasel side to Dreilandereck, or three country corner in English. The point where France, Germany and Switzerland actually meet is somewhere in the middle of the river, but there is a monument that looks a bit like a space craft gone wrong on the closest bit of land.... 

 2 Reviews  Photos: 1. St Alban 2. Signpost for pedestrian routes in the St Alban Valley St Alban is an attractive and evidently prosperous section of Basel on the left bank of the Rhine River. Traditionally this was where the old, established families of Basel used to live. There is a large youth hostel in... 

 2 Reviews  Photos: 1. Theater Basel 2. Entrance to the theater 3. Flags at the theater 4. Sign on the theater building, saying that it is forbidden to walk on the roof. The current building of the Basel Theater was built in the 1970s just behind the old theater. The new building was inaugurated in 1975,...