With the unique opportunity to cruise the grounds while my wife did actual work things, I got a front-row seat to the unique Novartis campus. Amidst sciency people wandering around laser-focused on doing sciency things, I took the chance to explore what this giant mini-town in a city had to offer. Starting with the pristine parking garage with green/red ceiling lights to show open spots, to the stations serving amazing Swiss coffee, to the interesting architecture, I could have spent more hours here than I did. The location overlooking the Rhine (and France) adds to the charm, and plenty of walking paths seem to emerge from nowhere while meandering into areas that feel like they're far away from central Basel. Upon seeing the bold-red opera house with "beware bees" sign, I asked the visitor check-in attendant what it was for. He said, "yah it's for the bees, where they live." So that answers it. Renowned architects designed many of the buildings, and in the midst you'll find plenty of peaceful respites to meditate or enjoy your Swiss coffee. Park your bike in the bike garages, and rest easy about cats getting stuck in a lovely tree since there's a fire station on premises. Befriend an employee to visit since it's not open to the public, but Basel Tourism potentials holds tours every couple weeks. I'll return when my coffee cup is empty. read more

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