There is plenty to see at the Tinguely Fountain. Jean Tinguely (1925-1991) was the master of…read morekinetic sculptures. Machinelike structures that move and spin and make noise and eventually, fail. For now, though, this fountain endures. "The Fasnachtsbrunnen was built between 1975 and 1977. It stands on the site of the stage of Basel's old city theatre, which was demolished in 1975 and replaced by today's theatre complex designed by the architects Schwarz & Gutmann." It's not hard to spent an hour here if you wish to appreciate each of the dozen or so moving sculptures as they rise and lower, spin and turn, spit water and go silent. It's an impressive display. A caption nearby points out a description of each piece in German, French and English. [Review 21223 overall - 72 in Switzerland - 188 of 2024.]

Without a doubt the strangest fountain I have ever seen. The Tinguely Fountain was on a list of…read moreinteresting things to see in Basel so we gave it a shot. It's not something you have to pay admission for. You just walk up and look at it and wonder what the heck is going on. The works of art were designed by an artist named Jean Tinguely and I was surprised to learn learn that this was done in the 70's. The works of art in the fountain are really strange looking "perpetual motion" machines. Some look like something you would recognize, such as a mechanical torso that appears to be endlessly running, while others are just completely bizarre contraptions that spit out water in several directions. The fountain is easily accessible via public transport and it intrigued us enough to go visit the Tinguely Museum (which is not close to here).