On the drielandenpunt Basel is located just across the Swiss border from France, Germany and Switzerland. The city has a rich history, which means that this relatively small city still has a lot of culture. In the Middle Ages there was a 17-year church meeting by the pope, bishops and associates. This made Basel one of the most important and lively cities in Europe. After the church group left, they wanted to keep the city alive, first through an important one university town of Basel (where Erasmus, among others, taught) and later one cultural city with important museums. Plus, the city annually hosts the most important art fair in the world, Art Basel.

Good to know is that Switzerland is pricey (duh). A coffee quickly costs 5,50CHF, lunch with drinks 30CHF per person and dinner double that. Of course there are cheaper places and when the weather is good you can eat take-away food along the quay on the Rhine. With the Basel card you have no public transport costs in the city and discounts on the museums. And the train journey to Basel starts from €38.

Furthermore, everyone speaks good English, German and French. And the people are friendly and helpful. Truly a city where people have time and attention for each other.

Prices are in CHF and payment can also be made in euros. Sometimes you get euros back and sometimes Swiss francs. You can actually pay everywhere with PIN. Sometimes change is useful for amounts under 10CHF.

Basel is surprising nice climate. In spring and autumn you can easily go outside without a jacket. Provided it is not raining, take a thin raincoat with you. In the summer it is so hot that it is very common for people to... swimming in the azure blue Rhine. You can put your clothes in a waterproof bag and dive into the river to cool off. The Rhine brings liveliness to the city. In all seasons, people sit along the quay with friends on sunny days, making music, having a bite to eat or reading a book. You can also find them along the quays refreshments (takeaway restaurants) and terraces. In most seasons you sit on the sunny side of the Rijnkade, but in the warm months you also sit under the trees on the shady side.

You can cross via the bridge or with one of the ferries. This wooden ferries sailing without a motor on the current of the river. You will find the crossing at various points along the quay. Just ring the bell and the boat will come your way. A must during your visit.

The city center consists of two parts. By oude stad with the Basel Minster (with the towering church towers) and the historic streets that go up and down the hill. On this side you will also find most of the museums, the main shopping street and also the small boutiques in historic buildings. And the sunny other side with the cozy Rijnkade, some hipper restaurants and large department stores. To give an impression, you could have walked both sides in about 1,5 hours. So take your time in each part of the city. In two to three days you have really seen a lot of the city.

So lots of culture and entertainment. Basel has 40 museums and numerous galleries that can be visited all year round. You probably don't have weeks, so which ones are a must visit during your city trip to Basel? Foundation Beyeler is 20 minutes by tram from the center. In the museum designed by Renzo Piano there is one masterpiece after another; 20+ Picassos, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Monet and Rothko. The one next door Beyeler Restaurant im Park is highly recommended for lunch. Naturhistorisches Museum Basel has been around since 1821 and has a cool collection of stuffed animals, (dino) skeletons, fossils and even dinosaur footprints. Fun for children and certainly for adults too.

Art Museum Basel is an impressive museum with old masters and modern art. While you need about an hour for the first two, you can easily spend half a day in the Art Museum. In the art deco building you will find classical art and in the modern design building you will find contemporary art (of which you sometimes say “is this art?”).

Furthermore, it may still be on your maybe list Paper Mill Museum in the beautiful historic area St. Alban Tal. Here children can make their own paper. And the Vitra Campus with beautiful design and architecture is another must see if you have energy left to travel out of town.