Basel

Basel sits on the Rhine, where Switzerland, France and Germany meet. The cathedral stands on a bluff above the water, and the old streets run down toward it. Bridges have carried people across since the Middle Ages.

Cathedral to river

• The Münster. Red sandstone, built between 1019 and 1500. Erasmus of Rotterdam is buried inside, and the Pfalz terrace behind it looks straight down the Rhine.
• Marktplatz. The Rathaus here is painted deep red and covered in murals, still the seat of the cantonal government.
• Mittlere Brücke. The old crossing point, rebuilt in stone in the thirteenth century and still the most direct way over.
• Tinguely-Brunnen. A fountain of clattering mechanical sculptures by the sculptor Jean Tinguely, next to the theatre.

Museums and the river in summer

The Kunstmuseum traces its core collection to 1661, when the city bought the Amerbach Cabinet rather than let it go to Amsterdam. Basel has called it the oldest public art collection anywhere since. Most museums, the Kunstmuseum included, close on Mondays.

The Rhine doubles as a pool in summer. From June to September locals float downstream in sealed dry bags called Wickelfisch, climbing out near the old town. Basel's carnival, the Fasnacht, opens before dawn on the Monday after Ash Wednesday, when the streetlights cut out for lantern processions.

Day trips from the station

Basel works as a base for all of Switzerland. Zurich and Bern sit about an hour away by train, and Lucerne isn't much further. Zermatt and the Matterhorn, the Jungfraujoch, and Mount Pilatus each fill a long day on their own.

Cross the border and Alsace is just as close. Colmar and Strasbourg both work as day trips, and so does the edge of the Black Forest. The Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen make a different kind of half-day, built around the waterfall rather than a town.

Practical

• Weather. July highs sit near 25C, January highs near 4C; mild by Swiss standards, but winter mornings still need a coat.
• Getting there. EuroAirport, shared by Switzerland, France and Germany, sits about fifteen minutes from the centre by bus or taxi.
• Museum days. Monday closures are common; plan gallery visits for the rest of the week.
• Prices. A cappuccino in a café runs about 5.50 francs — Switzerland is not the place to expect southern European prices.
• Tipping. Service is already included by law; rounding up is normal, a separate tip is not expected.