Where to go in Basel?

[Betty/Avie]

We will be in Basel on our own for a few days before our Nov. 2 sailing to Antwerp on Viking. We would appreciate any suggestions for sightseeing, "must-do's," restaurants that we shouldn't miss (and those which we should), etc. We have been studying the various travel books, but we usually have more faith in views expressed by CC members!

 

Thanks.

 

Avie

[Hambagahle]

Basel is chock-a-block with museums, of all sorts and you are bound to find some that interest you. There are over 60! The Kunstmuseum, which is in the centre of town, is great and has various exhibitions as well as a permanent collection. I personally love the Beyeler, which is a little out of town - you need to take Tram 6, which stops at the Bayerischer Bahnhof. If you are on the other side of the river, take a bus to the Messe and change there. The current special exhibition which will last until the end of January is on Venice and includes paintings from many artistis like Turner, Canaletto etc etc. The building itself is a work of art and there is a not-too-bad café in the grounds.

As a "typical" place to eat I would recommend the Goldenen Sternen, which is in the old town, on the Rhine. (Sankt Alban-Rheinweg 70). Great Swiss food and very pretty restaurant.

Most Basel hotels provide you with a free "Basel Mobility" card when you check in. This entitles you to free transport on any of the city's public busses, trams and local railways. I think (but am not sure) that it also provides a discount for entry to museums.

You will enjoy a couple of days in Basel but in case you get bored you could hop on a train and head north to either Freiburg in Breisgau (Germany) or Strasbourg (France) both of which cities are great to see as well!

[Betty/Avie]

Hambagahle,

 

 

Thanks a bunch.

 

Avie

[hcross888]

Basel is a wonderful town. The Kunstmuseum is outstanding, and if you love the impressionists, you will be wowed. The Munster is magnificent, and Anna Hapsburg is interred there (died 1296). The Rathaus is a neat building, and the city gate is magnificent. The Beyler is a fantastic art museum also.

 

Like every town in Switzerland, Basel has fantastic public transportation.

 

If you want a day trip from Basel, Neuchatel and Murten are a short distance by train.

[Bobblsc]

We will be in Basel on our own for a few days before our Nov. 2 sailing to Antwerp on Viking. We would appreciate any suggestions for sightseeing, "must-do's," restaurants that we shouldn't miss (and those which we should), etc. We have been studying the various travel books, but we usually have more faith in views expressed by CC members!

Thanks.

Avie

 

It may be a little far for a one day trip, but look at going to Zermatt by train. Several years ago we stopped in Basel for one night, then traveled to Zermatt for one night. The next morning we boarded the "Glacier Express" train for St. Moritz. The cog rail ride to and from Zermatt was the most spectacular of the whole trip. You do have to change trains once, but the change is easy.

 

Bob :cool:

[Cruisin Kay D]

That train was recommended to me on tripadvisor but I also read that between early Nov and Dec 14 Glacier Express was not running due to track maintainence. Ordered a GREAT little paperback book from Amazon called DayTrips Switzerland and there are some good ideas in it -- came in 2 days!

[Betty/Avie]

Thanks to all. We appreciate your suggestions, and we are looking forward to seeing the sights. Right now, it looks like it may be a little cool. According to the long-range forecasts, there may be sleet or freezing rain on the day of arrival (Friday). But we are well equipped with layers!

 

Thanks again.

 

Avie

[sailoruk]

Hi

When we were is Basel quite some years back, we went to Dreiländereck (Three Countries’ Corner), I found the following by googling, It was just something different - not the usual museums etc. might be of interest.

That was on our first river cruise from Basel to Amsterdam - we are now hooked:)

Enjoy our cruise

 

 

 

One of Basel’s curiosities is its location at the meeting point of France, Germany and Switzerland, and there are few places in the world where you can stand at the exact point where three countries meet. If you take tram #8 to its terminus amongst the massive warehouses and shipping cranes at Kleinhüningen, cross to the north bank of the River Wiese, head left 200m to the Rhine, then right (north) along a spit of land beside more warehouses and train sidings for 300m, you’ll come to Dreiländereck (Three Countries’ Corner), marked by a futuristic rounded steel-and-glass building. This is the Restaurant Dreiländereck (