Travel guide: Art and sights in Basel

With the highest density of museums in Switzerland and the famous Art Basel art fair, Basel can rightly adorn itself with the title of Swiss City of Art and Culture. Last weekend, we took a look at some local hotspots, fell in love with the charming alleys of the old town, marveled at modern new buildings, explored the alternative scene in Kleinbasel and captured our favourite places for you. First of all, a city trip to Basel is not only recommended for art lovers.

Slept at the Hotel Krafft Basel

Krafft Basel Rheingasse 12

Krafft Basel is located on the banks of the Rhine in Kleinbasel, diagonally opposite the legendary Hotel Trois Rois, for whose gourmet restaurant Le Cheval Blanc chef Peter Knogl recently won the third Michelin star. Since the hotel opened in 1873, many guests have come and gone here. Among them was Herman Hesse, who wrote his novel “Der Steppenwolf” in room 4.1. The Krafft is one of the Swiss Historic Hotels and, like all historic houses, exudes a wonderful charm. The centrepiece is the spiral staircase that opens towards the top. With every step, it creaks under your feet. Our room is located directly under the attic and belongs to the newer variety. Where the owner used to live, two additional rooms have been realized. The bathroom is great with a spacious floor plan and a free-standing bathtub, which we couldn’t use because of all the sightseeing.

Done – Sightseeing

For Early Birds | Middle Bridge

Even if I sometimes have to struggle to get out of bed, watching a city wake up is always an experience that makes getting up early worth it. The beautiful Basel skyline presents itself from its chocolate side at the level of the Mittlere Brücke.

Old Town Stroll | Grossbasel

There is no shortage of picturesque old town alleys in Basel. I could have strolled through the old town for hours and took what felt like a thousand pictures of beautiful doors and ivy-covered facades. We recommend a walk from Spalenberg to Heuberg through the “Untere Heuberg” alley. Just around the corner is the Teufelhof Basel. The historic guest and cultural centre has just inaugurated its new artists’ rooms. If you’re looking for a special Basel accommodation location, you’ve come to the right place. The district around Basel Cathedral is just as picturesque, where you should definitely take a look at the beautiful cloister.

Basel thrives not only on historic buildings, but also on a successful fusion between old and new. On the outskirts of the Münsterquartier, the new building of the Museum of Contemporary Art is being built. The building, designed by the Bals architects Christ and Gantenbein, integrates confidently into the existing urban structure with its light brick façade and striking, large windows.

Alternative Scene | Kleinbasel

On the Kleinbasel side, too, a lively old town district invites you to take a pub tour. If you want to give your feet a break, you can be chauffeured over by ferry. 1.60 CHF is the price of the relaxed pleasure. Afterwards you can take a leisurely stroll along the Rheinweg or explore the Rheingasse and Webergasse and then walk along the Klingentalstrasse towards the trade fair. The flair of Kleinbasel stems from the good mix of living space, small neighbourhood shops, hip trendy pubs and locally staged cultural and art events such as the Wertstatt project. But there are also exciting things to discover in the inner courtyards. Not far from the fair in an inconspicuous courtyard, for example, is the internationally renowned gallery of Nicolas Krupp, which is showing an exciting exhibition by the photographer Viktor Kolář until the end of the month.

Classical Modernism | Fondation Beyeler

The Fondation Beyeler in Riehen near Basel is a must for art lovers. But even if you don’t have a particular affinity for art, it’s worth taking a detour to this enchanting park, where the museum building designed by Renzo Piano is located. The current exhibition is dedicated to the last futurist exhibition of painting “In Search of 0.10”, which opened in 1915 in what is now St. Petersburg and featured the works of fourteen Russian artists, including the famous black square by Kazimir Malevich. At the same time, the works of 36 contemporary artists will be shown under the title “Black Sun”.

Across the Borders | Rehberger Weg

Since the end of September 2015, a visit to two cultural institutions that are important for the region – the Fondation Beyeler and the Vitra Design Museum – can be combined with an entertaining hike. The newly opened Rehberger-Weg leads over six kilometres along the charming Tüllinger hill with a view of Basel city from Riehen to Weil am Rhein. The project is called “24 Stops” and was initiated as part of IBA Basel 2020. Especially now in autumn a great tour through the colorfully colored vineyard landscape.

The starting point of the hike is signposted with a bell at both the Fondation Beyeler and the Vitra Design Museum, then simply follow the distinctive orange waymarks. The hiking map is available on request at the two starting points.

Everything is Design | Vitra Design Museum

The Vitra Design Museum is also one of the top destinations when visiting Basel. We recommend the architectural tours, which lead through the Vitra Campus, which is not open to the public, where buildings by Zaha Hadid, SANAA and Álvaro Siza, among others, are located. The current exhibition (“everything is design”) at the Vitra Design Museum juxtaposes the Bauhaus idea with contemporary developments.

Autumn Skyline | Rhine Banks

And where does a day of sightseeing in Basel end? Exactly, where we started it. Somewhere between the Middle Bridge and the Wettein Bridge with a magnificent view of the illuminated Basel duo, the Münster and the Ferris wheel. This duo can be admired until 8 November 2015. That’s how long the traditional 545th Basel Autumn Fair lasts.

Eaten – Restaurants and café

Hot Chocolate | Café Frühling, Klybeckstrasse 69

If you stroll through the alleys of Kleinbasel, you will pass some small cafés and restaurants. Our favourite is the “Frühling” in Klybeckstrasse. Whether with a hot chocolate or a skilfully brewed coffee, you can linger here.

Russian Suppen | Restaurant Berower Park, Baselstrasse 101

The menu design in the Berower Park restaurant is based on the exhibitions at the Fondation Beyeler and so there is currently a Kazimir Malevich menu with Russian specialties such as borscht.

Apéro | Consum, Rheingasse 19

Directly opposite the Krafft Basel is the Consum. With over 100 wines and the finest cheese and salami platters, it is a popular aperitif destination for the people of Kleinbasel. We ordered a seasonal, freshly prepared venison platter and tried our way through the exotic house drinks and what can I say – if I lived in Basel, you would probably often find me at Consum. A bull’s eye.

Pickling Charm | Restaurant Kornhaus, Kornhausgasse 10

Barely a week old is Basel’s latest insider tip. On the Grossbasel side, within walking distance of the old town, the Kornhaus restaurant – or simply “Die Baiz” – opened last week. Here, genuine Basel specialities are served in a cosy atmosphere. Consistent. From Kornhuus Schumwyy from Basel City to Lümmelibroote and Buttenmostcrème, the best from the region is on the menu here. My choice fell on the Herrenschnitzel – recommended.

I was invited to this stay by Basel Tourism. Thank you very much for this! – As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm.