City highlights
Basel City Hall
The Basel City Hall is not only the seat of the municipal, but also the seat of the cantonal government of Basel-Stadt.
Historisches Museum Basel
One of the largest and most important museums in Switzerland according to internetsailors.
Botanical Garden
One of the oldest parks in the entire German-speaking area.
Basel Minster
The Basel Minster was consecrated in 1019 by Emperor Heinrich II (973-1024) and his wife Kunigunde.
Old town
Basel’s old town on the left bank of the Rhine has been preserved intact and is one of the most interesting in Europe.
In Basel, visitors can experience a successful mix of old and modern architecture.
Special streets and neighborhoods
Clarastraße – Schneidergasse
The main shopping street in Basel is Clarastraße. There are countless specialty shops and luxury boutiques here. But if you want to leave the beaten path, you should head to Schneidergasse, which is not only pleasant to stroll along, but also offers original shops that sell all kinds of things – and all in the most friendly atmosphere.
St. Chrischona
Basel’s local mountain is located in the municipality of Bettingen and is surrounded on two sides by the Swiss-German border. The church of the same name stands on the highest point of the mountain (522 meters above sea level). The view is downright breathtaking.
Special places
Münsterplatz
This rectangular square is located directly in front of the Basel Minster, but is not only determined by that monumental sacred building. It is also the many imposing and baroque town houses and the half-timbered houses from the late Middle Ages that make the square a real gem of Basel. In addition to the grammar school on Münsterplatz, in which Friedrich Nietzsche and Jakob Burckhardt provided education to the higher grades, the Paul Sacher Foundation is also located on Münsterplatz. The latter is the largest private collection of original scores and bequests from contemporary composers in the world.
Tip!
The Münsterplatz is of course also a popular place for exuberant festivities. There is an open-air cinema there in the summer months, the Basel Autumn Fair in October and the Basel City Run once a year in November.
Marktplatz
The square is characterized by the wonderful Basel Town Hall, the seat of the city government. In addition, the market square also inspires with some old town houses such as the guild house of the wine people, which was built in the Renaissance style. Picassoplatz The Picassoplatz has been defined by a sculpture since 1992, which was created after an original by the Spanish master, enlarged 62 times.
Opera houses, theaters, cultural centers
Fauteuil and Tabourettli
www.fauteuil.ch
Directly at the Spalenberg-Tor, mainly light comedies in Baseldytsch are offered on two stages.
Knabenkantorei Basel (KKB)
www.knabenkantorei.ch
The Swiss Boys Choir was founded in 1927 by Hermann Ulbrich and today sings both sacred and secular works.
Kunsthalle Basel
www.kunsthalle.ch
Constantly changing art events with international artists inspire here all year round.
Musical Theater Basel
This theater at the fair is considered to be the most modern stage in the world and regularly gives performances of its art.
Theater Basel
www.theater-basel.ch
The city theater of Basel shows plays, operas, operettas and ballet performances. It is musically supported by the city’s symphony orchestra.
Messe Basel
www.messe.ch
Famous events such as ArtBasel or BaselWorld take place at Messe Babel.
Museums and galleries
Foundation Beyeler
The museum, which was designed by the architect Renzo Piano, is located just outside the city in the suburb of Riehen. Here you can visit the extraordinary collection of the Beyeler couple.
Museum Tinguely
The museum shows the moving sculptures by the Swiss artist Tinguely.
Dollhouse
Museum A visit to the museum is a special experience for young and old. The museum is crammed with dolls, stuffed animals and of course with lots of dollhouses.
Antikenmuseum Basel
Opposite the art museum is one of Europe’s largest collections of ancient cultural goods. Fernet Branca Musée d’Art Contemporain
Jewish Museum of Switzerland
This museum shows exhibits that give an insight into the rich cultural past of Swiss Jews.
Kunsthaus Baselland
This is where changing exhibitions from areas such as “contemporary art” are shown.
www.kunsthausbaselland.ch
Historisches Museum Basel
The building, one of the largest and most important museums in Switzerland, is located in several historically interesting buildings in Basel, of which the Barfüßerkirche, the Haus zum Kirschgarten and the Music Museum are located in the immediate city center, while the Carriage Museum is located on the south-eastern outskirts of Basel.
www.hmb.ch
Museum of Cultures
Basel’s ethnographic museum contains exhibitions on South America, Africa, Oceania and East Asia. The most famous collections come from the areas of the South Seas, Old America, Tibet and Bali.
www.mkb.ch
Museum Tinguely
The museum’s permanent exhibition is dedicated to the work of Jean Inguely (1925-1991), who is considered one of the most important Swiss artists.
The plans for the building come from the Swiss architect Mario Botta (born 1943). The museum was opened on October 3rd, 1996 and is located directly on the Rhine.
Paul Sacher-Anlage 2
4002 Basel
Tel.: 0041 – (0) 61- 681 93 20
Opening times Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Public Art Collection
The Basel Public Art Collection shows one of the most important art collections in Switzerland with old masters and modern art.
Anatomical Museum Basel
The city museum exhibits original specimens and wax models of human body areas and organs and was founded in 1824 by Prof. Carl Gustav Jung.
Paul Sacher Foundation
The Paul Sacher Foundation is located next to the grammar school on Münsterplatz. This is the largest private collection of original scores and bequests from contemporary composers in the world.
www.paul-sacher-stiftung.ch
Vitra Design Museum
This private museum offers changing exhibitions and events. The main focus of the collection is on furniture and interior design. The entire Vitra Campus with its buildings by modern architects is well worth seeing. The Vitra House by Herzog & de Meuron is the newest building in the ensemble. The Vitra Campus is located in Germany in Weil am Rhein.
www.design-museum.de
Tip!
The city museums of Basel have free entry on the first Sunday of each month!
Further museums in the very rich city of Basel can be found at:
www.museenbasel.ch
