Basel Switzerland Tourism (2024) Travel Guide Top Places

Basel Travel Essentials

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"The Land of Sparkling Sunshine & Serene Rivers"

Basel Tourism

The beautiful city of Basel is placed just so, along a bend in the Rhine River. The city is located roughly where the French, German and Swiss borders touch. It is filled to bursting with museums and is a wonderful place for art lovers.

Basel is obviously a very beautiful city. Anywhere you go, you will always be met with scenic vistas, owing to the natural beauty brought to the city by the River Rhine. Basel is also known to have the highest number of museums in all of Switzerland! It is also often said to be the cultural capital of the country. Here, you will find a mix of the traditional and the modern -- antique shops, old book stores and old town squares mingle with well-designed modern buildings, chic designer boutiques and more. If you're visiting in spring, be sure to take a look around you at the plethora of cherry trees, which blossom beautifully during this season.

Basel Munster

Marktplatz

Gate of Spalen

Dollhouse Museum

Tinguely Fountain

PapiermÙhle

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Currency in Basel

The official currency here is Swiss Francs. Sometimes, payment in Euros is acceptable in Basel. This is only in certain places however. American Express, Visa and Master Card are the cards that are accepted here.Â¾

Shopping in Basel

Basel has a lot of boutiques and specialty stores. Department stores are limited in number. Visit Spalenberg and Schneidergrasse for more authentic and more beautiful jewellery, watches, vintage clothes, art pieces, books, etc. Confiserie SprÃ´nglie is the best place to go to if you want to buy some decadent Swiss chocolate. Chocolates, pastries and more are available aplenty here and the best thing to buy would be their dark chocolate, or their little macaroons. You can also stroll around the Basel Market in Markplatz, from Monday to Saturday, until a little after noon. They sell fresh local produce, all organic.Â¾

Nightlife in Basel

Basel offers a great nightlife. It literally has more bars and pubs than you can count! Bar Rouge is one of the more popular ones. Located inside the tallest building in Basel, it gives you a stunning view of the entire city. If you wish to mingle with the locals, head over to Brauner Mutz, a classic beer hall. Here, you will definitely meet tons of locals who will tell you all that you need to know about their city. There are also plenty of dance clubs here - Hinterhof, Heuwaage and Vice Club being some of the most well-known ones.Â¾

History of Basel

Basel was initially the seat of the Celts. In 30 B.C., Basel's position was quite an enviable one. This led the Romans to come to Basel along with their military forces. However, in 1185, there was a raging fire that burned the city down. By the time Basel recovered from the blow, it was overcome by the plague. Things began to get better when Greater and Lesser Basel united. In 1460, the University was set up, which brought a lot of thinkers and intellectuals into the city. The Reformation gave rise to a lot of good, money-making industries, which finally contributed towards making the city what it is today.Â¾

Language of Basel

German is the official language of Basel. However, a majority of the population also speaks Baseldytsch, which is their mother tongue. English and French are two other languages that are spoken by a wide chunk of the population. 'GrÃ´ezi' means Hello, 'Adieu' is used to say Goodbye and 'Merci' or 'Dangge' mean Thank you.Â¾

Basel Customs

The people of Basel do like to dress up, but tourists here generally keep it simple. The locals also do not believe in too much makeup or a lot of accessories, so when you visit this place, keep it simple and minimal. It is important to know that in this city, being chivalrous towards women and the elderly, is a common practice and one that everybody is expected to follow. The people here also strongly respect punctuality and honesty. Tipping is not obligatory in most Swiss cities. However, people do tend to leave a small tip. Talking on your phone in a loud voice while in a caf_ or a restaurant, is considered to be rude here.Â¾

Religion of Basel

Basel is almost equally split between two dominant religions: Roman Catholics and Protestants.

Daily Budget for Basel

Living in Basel on a budget would cost you CHF 40 per day, including food, alcohol, transport which you can subtract if you have a free pass and entertainment. A mid-range and comfortable stay will cost you CHF 95, including the same. A high-range, luxurious stay will easily cost you about CHF 180. All of these figures do not include accomodation charges.Â¾

Exchanging Money in Basel

You can convert your money into Swiss Francs at all the banks in the city. These banks will offer you a good enough rate of exchange. Alternately, you can even exchange currency at your hotel, at the airport and even at railway stations. ATMs are also available throughout Basel.Â¾

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How to Reach Basel

How to Reach Overview

Basel can be easily accessed by almost all the modes of transport. It is a largely connected city. You can get here by plane, by train, by bus, car and even by sea!

How to reach Basel by flight

EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg is a tri-national airport - the only one in the world. It is just 4 km away from Basel. Swiss, Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways, EasyJet are the reputed carriers that arrive and take off from this airport. From the airport, you can either rent a car or take a bus to get you to Basel.

How to reach Basel by road

Driving into Basel is also possible. However, it is important to make sure that you have the vignettes for the same. Vignettes are toll stickers, available at the border towns. It costs CHF 40. Getting a taxi from, for eg. Zurich, for four people with luggage, ¾would cost you almost CHF 200.¾

How to reach Basel by train

There are two main railway stations in Basel. One is the Basel SBB Station while the other is the Basel Badischer Bahnhof. At Basel SBB, you can expect to find all the trains. At Badischer Bahnhof however, Deutsche Bahn trains can also be spotted arriving. Trains to SBB leave from Zurich, Berne, Geneva. Deutsche Bahn gives you trains running at a faster speed, which leave from Berlin and Frankfurt. Night trains are also operative here, so you do not have to worry if you are getting here late.¾

How to reach Basel by bus

Buses ¾leave from Zurich, Berne, Geneva and other nearby stops. Zurich's HB stop is where you can find a bus to Basel. Buses can also get you to Basel from Amsterdam and Paris. As mentioned earlier, Basel is extremely well connected and conveniently placed.

How to reach Basel by waterways

You can alight at Basel on the River Rhine. Summer cruise ships are available from Amsterdam to Basel, with stops in between, provided you are fine with the same.

Local transport in Basel

A lot of tourists who flock to Basel prefer to get around on foot, as it is not only a great exercise, but also convenient, owing to the tiny lanes and side streets. Apart from that, Basel also has a large tram and bus network. You can avail of a free Mobility Pass once you check into your hotel. This pass allows you free travel, without any limits, in Basel and in the suburbs area, including the airport. This pass is valid throughout the course of your stay. If you'd like to ride around this scenic city on a bicyle, rent-a-bike options are also available. You could rent a bicycle from the Rent-a-Bike park, located under Basel's SBB Railway Station, at Centralbahnplatz. You can also take a ride across the River Rhine, in one of the ferry boats. One river crossing would cost you CHF 1.60 (adults) and CHF 0.80 (children).¾

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FAQs on Basel

What is the local food in Basel?

Basel offers quite a diverse cuisine. There are a lot of restaurants and caf_s dotted around the city that you can choose from. Roasted flour soup is one of the special dishes of Basel. Basler Leckleri (gingerbread biscuits) and suuri L__berli are other popular dishes.¾
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What are the places near Basel?

The top places near to Basel are Zurich which is 74 km from Basel, Lucerne which is located 78 km from Basel, Geneva which is located 186 km from Basel, Lausanne which is located 136 km from Basel, Zermatt which is located 171 km from Basel

What are the things to do in Basel?

The top things to do in Basel are MÙnster, Marktplatz, Gate of Spalen, Dollhouse Museum, Tinguely Fountain, PapiermÙhle. You can see all the places to visit in Basel here

What are the top hotels in Basel?

There are 403 in Basel which can be booked through Holidify. The most popular hotels in Basel are B&B BÃ¤ttwil, Sgl Apartment, AVLiving City INSIDE NINE Basel, MFH Riehen, Cosy Basel 1, Baselblick. You can see all the hotels in Basel here

What is the best way to reach Basel?

Basel can be easily accessed by almost all the modes of transport. It is a largely connected city. You can get here by plane, by train, by bus, car and even by sea!
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What is the best time to visit Basel?

Visiting during these months is ideal because the weather is such. June will bring you warm days, with a chance of rain. However, July to September are brighter and more pleasant, with the promise of bright sunshine and happy days. ¾
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"The Land of Sparkling Sunshine & Serene Rivers"

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