Beautiful botanic garden in Basel. What a pleasant surprise to stumble across this garden while we…read morewere visiting for two days.

How is this free? This was such a delightful part of a day sightseeing and exploring Basel. The…read morebotanical garden at the University of Basel is located right next to a public transit stop by Spalentor Gate, which makes it quite easily accessible. I was surprised to learn that it's one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world! There are multiple greenhouses to explore and some nice outdoor areas to look at. There's one greenhouse that is quite large and it feels like you're walking through a jungle when you're exploring it. It even has a glass spiral staircase where you can go up and get a better view of the flora. There were several birds inside this greenhouse also and it was fun trying to spot them. I think that it's wonderful that the university offers this experience to anyone who wants to visit. Definitely check it out if you're in Basel.

This carnival is the highlight of this plucky city. The…read moremasks, the costumes, and the endurance of the performers, who parade around the city playing their piccolos, trombones, and heavy drums, are equally impressive. Regardless, you will not be slow to notice that confetti is by far the main character in this event. Tons of confetti. Numerous tons of confetti. So much that a few hours into the parade -which extends for all 3 days- a one-inch layer of colored paper will accrue on the ground all over the city. The ubiquitous confetti segues smoothly into people considering the whole town is basically one giant trash can and the confetti is soon sparkled with shattered bottles and glasses, tissues, napkins, pretzels, you name it. As you can guess most of this trash is blown away by the wind into the Rhine and the whole thing is just gross. You would think that the Swiss of all people would be more aware of the environment. Apart from this huge detail, the event is nice although the city isn't at all. It's an industrial rundown city with little to offer to the tourist that you can't find in any other old European town. Plus people aren't that friendly; as a tourist, I didn't feel expected. Shopkeepers do not speak English and the prices are ridiculously high.

Gotta try it once!! Amazing atmosphere around the City.read more

We recently went on a Viking cruise, which embarked from Basel. We decided to go in a couple days…read moreearly to adjust to the time change, and to wander around the city of Basel. And in a stoke of luck, it just so happened to be during their annual Autumn Fair. We learned that it's the oldest fair in Switzerland, and has been running since the 15th century. It was awesome. They actually hold it in several different areas of the city (6, I think), but we only visited three of them. Tons of local things to eat, handmade crafts to buy, entertainment here and there, and plenty of carnival type rides. If you plan a trip to Basel, plan it around the beginning of November so you can check this out. It may just be on our list for a trip to Switzerland that we would start or end in Basel....during this fair.

I happened to be in Basel for work in early November, and happened upon the Autumn fair. I learned…read morethat this is an annual tradition that has been going on for hundreds of years. I am rating this fair 'five stars' primarily due to all the foods I've tried. While many cuisines from around the world are represented, I just loved trying out some of the Swiss snacks! There was this small raclette stand at the messeplatz that I must have visited 4 times in 2 days. Then there was the sausage stand and the risotto and sautéed mushroom stalls. Also for the first time, on a super cold sprinkling night, I tasted warm sweet Gluhwein and it definitely made me feel toasty inside! The fair is literally everywhere throughout Basel. You can literally just walk around town and find yourself running into different squares and streets blocked off with stalls, booths and stands. Other than food, you can pretty much find all sorts of craft items, books, kitchen stuff, etc.. I really enjoyed waking through the different areas throughout my two nights there and would so recommend it for people to visit if you happen to be in Basel during that time of the year.

Small museum of one floor of many large rooms. We visited the Matisse exhibition and it was…read moredisplayed well.

This museum was wonderful, filled with art by Pirosmani, Picasso, Thiebaud, Monet, Matisse,…read moreCezanne, Warhol, and an abundance of other artists. It takes quite awhile to go through all the galleries to see everything, especially if you read everything on the walls, too! It was really breathtaking to walk into a gallery and see the large Monet painting "The Water Lily Pond" hanging on a full wall; such a beautiful surprise. His "Water Lilies" was also in the same gallery. Definitely worth the visit and there's a discount offered (50%) when you present your BaselCard, which is a tourist card you can get for free from your hotel. 13.50 CHF (Swiss francs) at the time I went (November, 2023).

This is a rather unique place. I am generally not a fan of contemporary design but this museum…read morealmost made me a convert. The arrangements were quite appealing and presented delightful ideas with respect to the use of space. The synergy of the pieces used was striking at times. Some of the displays on the side of the building that faced the pastoral surroundings across the road were very relaxing in their presentations. The wall-length windows allowed one to look out over the bucolic environs. You'll be tempted to sit all day staring out the window in those corners of the museum as they are intrinsically relaxing, playing to something seminal in the human spirit. The arrangement inspired by Alice in Wonderland was particularly memorable as it was undoubtedly one of the more peculiar designs on display. Eccentricity certainly comes to mind when in that portion of the museum. The verbiage providing historical perspectives relative to the evolution of design ideas was also of interest. If you are in the Basel area and have some time, this place is worth a visit, even if you're not particularly an interior design buff. It will only take 60 - 90 minutes to stroll through at a casual pace. If you are so inclined, there is also a nice café where you can get a coffee and sweet treat (or even lunch) to add to the enjoyment of your visit.

Wow what a gem! It's a little work to get here and it is outside of town. It is part of the…read morefactory complex and u don't often get to see a Gehry-designed museum in the middle of a beautiful countryside with vineyards in the background. The site is actually a collection of world class architecture literally set in a field in the middle of no where. The main museum hosts rotating exhibits focused on various designers. It is a wonderful space for that. There is a nearby restaurant and also a custom house where u can order vitra furniture. If uv ever wonder what all those iconic modern designs are. This is the place to learn how an Eames chair got to well an Eames chair ;-) While out of the way if ur visiting basel it is well worth the trip.

my only complaint is that i wish it was bigger! the exhibitions change quite frequently, so i hope…read moreto return a few times.

Word to the wise: google what the ticket price is before going to the theater. While I recognize…read morethat Switzerland is very expensive, I was still shocked by the ticket prices: $43 USD (38 CHF) for 2 movie tickets. And what do you get for $43? Small, dirty (had to clean off chairs ourselves) theater with assigned seating. Me thinks not.

big complex inner city. pathe group.read more