Hello stemians!
What’s going on? Hope you are good, enjoyed your time on Christmas and you are ready for the New Year.
This post is gonna be about the only Swiss city I visited until now Basel. This city is so multicultural because is situated very close to the border of France and Germany. Actually. it is the third city populous city from Switzerland and also the warmest city around the country, so you can visit in the winter time without any impediments. When I think Switzerland the first things that come into my head are the Alps Mountains and chocolate, as you know Swiss chocolate is one of the best. I would love one day to bath in an infinity pool with a mountain view, there are some pretty dope swimming pools in the Alps.
The plane tickets were very affordable and the location of Basel was perfect for one day trip to France, Colmar, which I will write about it as soon as possible. After I buy the plane tickets, the next thing I do is to buy a travel insurance, because it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Don’t you agree?
We arrived at EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg, the only one in the world operating jointly by three countries.
How to get to the city from the airport
There is no need or use in taking a cab, you can easily take bus no. 50, which can take you to the Central Rail Station - Basel SBB.
The best part is their public transportation, it is free if you have a hotel reservation in Basel. It’s the first city where I saw this big advantage, so when you get to the reception don’t forget to ask about BaselCard!
On the other hand, if you prefer walking, it’s perfect the city centre is not that big and you can easily walk through the city. Their infrastructure is great and buildings are beautiful, I had low expectations, but I was really impressed by this city!
Accommodation
We booked online a triple room in the city centre, only four tram stations from the Central Railway Station. The price was quite good for Switzerland and the best part we got a free upgrade to a 3 stars hotel, so we were lucky!
On our first day, we arrived on the evening, but after we checked in, went on a short walk near our hotel. For the next day, we had booked a Colmar day trip, which was the initial reason for visiting Basel.
Next day, after a good coffee, we started early our visit in this multicultural city.
My favourite part was walking along Rhine and enjoying the sun, it was pretty warm for early October.
Bonus
I encountered with these pretty birds, lucky I had some biscuits on me and feed them.
Some pictures made during our promenade:
The Basel Cathedral seen from far
The Museum of Cultures in Basel
Me and one of my best friend, spreading love
Marktplatz
There you can see the beautiful City Hall of Basel, a ruddy stunner! Was built more than 500 years ago and you can visit it, the price starts from CHF 230.
There is a market just near the city hall, where every morning come the sellers of fresh vegetables, fruit and flowers.
If you love chocolate, you should definitely shop at Läderach, it’s located just in front of the city hall, near Mc Donalds.
Basel Cathedral/Munster
One of the landmarks is the really wonderful Basel Cathedral, one of the tallest building in the city. If you prefer to see the city from above, Basel Cathedral is a good choice. The construction started almost 1000 years ago!
Spalentor
Looks just like a fairytale gateway, but it’s actually a mediaeval gate. Spalentor is one of the remaining construction of the old city walls. In Basel there are three gates like this, but Spalentor is the most beautiful one.
St. Alban Quarter it is known by the locals as Little Venice of Basel.
After crossing the river, pass the district of Breite on the other side of the river, which features the last remains of the old Basel city wall. There you can see the Swiss Paper Museum and an old paper mill that dates back to the 14th century it’s nice to visit especially if you travel with your kids!
It’s a pleasant experience to walk through this neighbourhood, I love historic buildings, you feel like in 15th century with those narrow lanes!
Basel is a city of an architecture and art, there you can attend the famous carnival and international trade fairs which attracts countless tourists.
Street art - Colourful Grafitti
Interesting facts about Basel:
There are a lot of museums (around 40) in a relatively small city, so if you love art Basel is a must see, here you can see also some paintings made by Picasso.
You can cross Rhine river by floating pedestrian bridges, costs around 3 CHF.
Crossing the Rhine
If you don’t have a limited budget and you are a food lover, you can totally pay a visit to Cheval Blanc, a restaurant with three Michelin stars. Unfortunately, we couldn’t afford that, but for sure we'll give it a try on our next visit. :))
The oldest University in the country is located in Basel!
You can shop at flea markets, maybe you'll discover something really valuable.
You can see the tallest building in the country, the Roche Tower (178 meters)
It's a must to discover the city and after that, you can think about where to go from here. If you run out of time, you can totally book a 2-hour tour.
Day trips from Basel:
- COLMAR, one of the most colourful places I ever visited!
You should buy online tickets, are cheaper.
- STRASBOURG
- BERN
- GENEVA
- RHINE FALLS
As you already know, Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in the world, so it's not that appropriate for limited budget.
Some indicative prices: - basic lunch + drink = CHF 24
- meal in fast food = CHF 14
- coffee = CHF 5
- beer = CHF 7
According to the www.numbeo.com the cost of living index in Basel is 199.75% higher than in Bucharest.
So if you find yourself in this pretty city, give it a chance and visit it, there is a lot to discover, you won’t be disappointed.
Don’t listen to what they say, Go see
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Thank you.
Until soon,
Xo A
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