Basel, Switzerland — Where to Go
Basel Sightseeing Overview
Basel boasts a rich cultural history and one of the best preserved medieval old towns in Europe, dominated by the impressive münster (cathedral).
There are over 30 museums, including the witty Museum Tinguely, dedicated to the avant-garde painter and sculptor Jean Tinguely, who was born in Basel. You can see his Tinguely Fountain in front of the Stadttheater. At the Basel Paper Museum, you can even make your own paper.
The excellent Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland's oldest art museum, contains a vast collection of Renaissance and modern art. The private art collection at Fondation Beyeler comprises around 200 modern masterworks by some of the finest artists of the 20th century.
Over the last 20 years Basel has become an important center of modern architecture, and the Basel Architecture Museum gives a thorough and interesting introduction to the subject.
Basel Tourist Information
Basel Tourismus
SBB railway station
Tel: (061) 268 6868.
Website: www.basel.com
There is also a tourist information office in the Stadtcasino at Barfüsserplatz. As well as general tourist information, both offices also offer visitors help with accommodation bookings and tickets.
Basel Sightseeing
The BaselCard includes free entrance to several museums and the zoo, a free city sightseeing tour and free ferry boat rides. There are also reductions on car hire, discounts in certain restaurants and a handful of other offers. The card is available for 24, 48 and 72 hours from tourist information centers, the airport and some hotels.
Basel Sightseeing
The BaselCard includes free entrance to several museums and the zoo, a free city sightseeing tour and free ferry boat rides. There are also reductions on car hire, discounts in certain restaurants and a handful of other offers. The card is available for 24, 48 and 72 hours from tourist information centers, the airport and some hotels.
Key Attractions in Basel, Switzerland
Münster (Cathedral)
Basel's cathedral, the impressive münster, dominates the Old Town with its combination of gothic and romanesque features, red sandstone walls, colorful roof tiles and twin towers. Inside the cathedral is the tomb of the greatest of the European Renaissance humanists, Erasmus of Rotterdam. The views from the Pfalz terrace alongside embrace the Rhine, the Vosges Mountains, the Black Forest and the Jura.
Münsterplatz
Tel: (061) 271 2182.
Museum Tinguely and Tinguely Fountain
Devoted to the work of local kinetic artist Jean Tinguely (1925-1991), this museum is as unusual as his art, and is full of objects that move, rattle, crash and jump. You can see one of his creations, the Tinguelybrunnen (a fountain with moving sculptures and waterpipes), in the city center, in front of the Stadttheater (Theaterplatz).
Paul Sacher-Anlage 1 (Museum)
Tel: (061) 681 9320.
Website: www.tinguely.ch
Zoo Basel
Basel's zoo, fondly referred to as the zolli by locals, was established as long ago as 1874, and it is one of Switzerland's most popular attractions. Over 6,000 animals (including lions, giraffes, gorillas and kangaroos) attract around a million visitors each year.
Binningerstrasse 40
Tel: (061) 295 3535.
Website: www.zoobasel.ch
Kunstmuseum Basel
The oldest art museum in Switzerland contains the world's largest collection of works by the Holbein family as well as many works by other Swiss Renaissance artists, and an impressive collection of modern art, from impressionism to cubism, German expressionism and abstract expressionism.
St Alban-Graben 16
Tel: (061) 206 6262.
Website: www.kunstmuseumbasel.ch
Basel Paper Museum
Housed in a medieval paper mill, this museum traces the development of paper, writing, printing and bookbinding. Paper is still made here using the old devices and machines on display, and visitors are encouraged to make their own.
St Alban-Tal 35-37
Tel: (061) 272 9652.
Website: www.papiermuseum.ch
Further Distractions
Fondation Beyeler (Beyeler Foundation)
A public home located in parkland in the suburb of Riehen, this art venue was designed by architect Renzo Piano. On display is the amazing art collection of Ernst and Hildy Beyeler: it contains some 200 modern works of art and offers an interesting and personal take on modern art history. Artists represented include Cézanne, Picasso, Rousseau, Mondrian, Klee, Ernst, Matisse, Giacometti, Newman and Bacon.
Baselstrasse 101, Riehen
Tel: (061) 645 9700.
Website: www.beyeler.com
Swiss Architecture Museum
With its abundance of striking modern architecture and several internationally renowned architects' offices, it is only fitting that Basel has a world-class architecture museum. It focuses primarily on modern Swiss architecture (including Le Corbusier) and international contemporary architecture as well as connections between architecture and other arts.
Steinenberg 7
Tel: (061) 261 1413.
Website: www.sam-basel.org
