Top Sights in Basel, Switzerland
See the Historical Old Town, Münster (Minster), Rathaus, and Museums
Top sights in Basel, Switzerland, include its Romanesque-gothic Minster, historical Rathaus on Marktplatz, old streets in Spalenberg, fountains, and excellent museums.
Basel, a city of just less than 170,000 inhabitants, is a very pleasant city to visit with a historical center, interesting shops, and excellent museums.
Basel Münster (Minster)
The top historical sight in Basel is the Münster (Minster) that towers over the Rhine Valley and the old town from Münsterberg hill. The church is mostly 14th and 15th-century Gothic but kept some of its 12th-century Romanesque origins such as the highly decorative St. Gallen portal where Christ sits in judgment on the tympanum.
- European humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam (1469-1536) is buried in the minster.
The 15th-century Gothic cloisters have iron market stalls with products that typically would have been sold at a medieval market. A narrow alley leads from here to the Pfalz, a large terrace at the back of the church with lovely views of the Rhine Valley.
Basel’s Historical Rathaus (Town Hall)
Back in the old town, on the busy Marktplatz (market square), is Basel’s historical Rathaus. This most photogenic red building was built during the early 16th century but restored and enlarged around 1900.
Frescoes painted in 1610 by Hans Bock adorn the walls of the courtyard. The overriding theme is justice. The large statue is of the Roman Munatius Plancus, the legendary Roman who is said to have founded the city in 44 BC.
- Basel’s heraldic animal is the basilisk, a dragon with a snake’s tail and chicken’s head. It features on the city seal and some fountains.
Spalenberg Old Streets and Shopping
The narrow, often very steep, alleys leading from the Marktplatz and adjacent Fischmarktplatz (Fish Market) are lined with historic houses. Many now house small cafés and shops selling unique items not found in the typical chain-store brand that are found on all European main shopping streets.
Like most Swiss cities, Basel has an abundance of fountains – the Basel tourist office counts 170. Most spew out drinking water while some even have special bowls for dogs at street level. One of the loveliest is the Gothic fountain on the Fischmarktplatz but the Tinguely fountain with working machines is the most entertaining.
Museums in Basel
Basel has an astonishing number and range of museums. Some of the best include:
- The Kunstmuseum (Art Museum) with an excellent collection of especially 15th to 17th-century as well as 19th to 20th-century paintings.
- The Historisches Museum (History) has historical objects as well as large collection of musical instruments.
- The Antikenmuseum (Antiquities) has several collections of mostly ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman artifacts.
- The Museum der Kulturen (Culture/Ethnography) has items from all over the world.
Transportation to Basel
Basel’s location at the junction of Switzerland, Germany, and France left it with excellent transportation links. The Rhine River is of lesser use to the average traveler but train services from Basel to Zurich and other Swiss cities are frequent. Fast rail connections are available to Frankfurt, Freiburg, and Karlsruhe in Germany as well as Strasbourg in France.
Euro Airport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg is physically in France but operated by both the Swiss and French authorities – crossing from one sector to the other involves passport controls (until Switzerland joins the Schengen visa agreement). If flying to Switzerland, the airport code is BSL while travelers to France use MLH.
Taxis to Basel Airport cost around CHF 40 (USD 35) while bus 50 from the SBB Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) goes to the airport in 20 minutes up to eight times per hour for a tenth of that price.
- In addition to its lovely old town, and the very interesting Minster, Basel’s around 40 museums, cafés, and unique shops make a trip to this Swiss city more than worthwhile.
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