Basel

Sorell Hotel Merian, view of Basel Cities

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Intro

Home to 40 museums, the city of culture for connoisseurs has the highest concentration of museums in the country. Basel also has a beautiful Old Town, modern architecture, and the Rhine – an inviting spot to rest a while.

Basel at a glance

Basel is Switzerland's oldest university city. Historic landmarks of the city include the large market square with its richly decorated red sandstone town hall and the late Romanesque-Gothic cathedral. During a walk through the old town, past small boutiques, antique book shops but also shops of modern designers, a visit to the "Läckerli Huus" to try the traditional Basel honey cake is well worth your while. Basel is tradition-conscious and open-minded at the same time, a fact born out by several modern buildings designed by renowned architects such as Herzog & de Meuron, Mario Botta, Diener & Diener and Richard Meyer.

Almost 40 museums make Basel the city with the highest density of museums in the country. Internationally known museums, such as the Basel Art Museum, the museum devoted to the iron sculptor Jean Tinguely, the Fondation Beyeler and the Museum of Cultures attract a great many visitors, as do several galleries and playhouses. Basel is among other things home to the symphony orchestra and the chamber orchestra as well as the musical theatre featuring international productions. And a wide range of classical and contemporary productions are shown on the stages of the Basel Theatre and the Playhouse.
 
Basel is a green city. The Botanical Gardens, the Merian Gärten and the banks of the Rhine are perfect places to relax and linger for a while. And the Etoscha House at the zoo Basel offers spectacular insights into the Namibian Savannah.
You can easily explore Basel on foot or by bike. There are four Rhine ferries that connect Grossbasel with Kleinbasel.

At nearby Augusta Raurica near Augst impressive ruins and a great many finds at the museum bear testimony to the busy lives of the Romans in the region in the past. The charming countryside of the Basel region with its many cherry trees in spring boasts a particularly beautiful display of blooms. Germany and France, the Black Forest and Vosges Mountains are only a stone's throw away from the border city of Basel.

The yearly Fasnacht (Carnival) is the most important celebration for the people of Basel. On the Monday following Ash Wednesday the city rises with the "Morgenstraich". At four in the morning on the dot all the lights in the city go out and a colourful and brilliant procession through the streets of the city begins.

BaselCard
If you stay overnight in Basel, you can benefit from discounts on numerous cultural and leisure activities with the BaselCard. The personal guest card is available free of charge with every booking in Basel accommodation and can also be downloaded to a smartphone as a web app. 

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  • Mika Rottenberg: Antimatter Factory | Exhibition Museum Tinguely
    5 June to 3 November 2024

    Basel Tattoo | Event Kaserne Basel
    19 to 27 July 2024

Experiences & Activities

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  • Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois 5 Stars

    Recommended by Switzerland Tourism

    Basel, Basel Region

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  • Jugendherberge Basel

    Recommended by Switzerland Tourism

    Basel, Basel Region

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  • Volkshaus Basel 4 Stars

    Recommended by Switzerland Tourism

    Basel, Basel Region

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  • GAIA Hotel Basel 4 Stars

    Recommended by Switzerland Tourism

    Basel, Basel Region

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  • Hotel Merian

    Recommended by Switzerland Tourism

    Basel, Basel Region

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  • Hotel Schweizerhof Basel 3 Stars

    Recommended by Switzerland Tourism

    Basel, Basel Region

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  • Der Teufelhof Basel 3 Stars

    Recommended by Switzerland Tourism

    Basel, Basel Region

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  • Hotel Krafft Basel 4 Stars

    Recommended by Switzerland Tourism

    Basel, Basel Region

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  • Nomad Design & Lifestyle Hotel 4 Stars

    Recommended by Switzerland Tourism

    Basel, Basel Region

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  • Hotel Alexander

    Basel, Basel Region

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  • Basel Mountainbike Holidays Jura Bike Basel - Nyon

    8 nights, The Jura Bike tour likes to show its teeth once in a while when riding from Basel to Nyon. If you... from CHF 1,579
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    Price per person in double room
    valid: 25.07.2024 - 31.12.2024

    Learn more about Mountainbike Holidays Jura Bike Basel - Nyon
  • Basel Treasure hunt with Basil

    An exciting voyage of discovery through Basel - specially for the juniors. On the City Treasure... from CHF 15
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  • Basel FoodTour

    This self-guided FoodTour will take you to places that are a little bit different. The tour, which... from CHF 39
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  • Basel Stories of Basel's Old Town

    Join us on a journey back through the ages. There can be few other cityscapes where buildings dating...
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  • Basel Monthly tour of October"Herbschtmäss"

    When the days grow shorter and temperatures fall, the people in Basel look forward to a colourful...
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  • Basel ARTour – digital art and augmented reality

    On this 75-minute tour, you'll track down digital artworks that are spread all around the city.... from CHF 10
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  • Basel Cycling holidays Basel - Lugano

    6 nights, The North-South Route connects two of the most beautiful cities of Switzerland. It starts at the... from CHF 1,299
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    Price per person in double room
    valid: 25.07.2024 - 31.12.2024

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Travel information: Basel