The land of good living
Basel Region
A feast for the soul – and all the senses.
In a city with cultural life as rich as that of Basel, it is not surprising
to find that the culinary arts have reached such a high
level of sophistication. For more than two thousand years this
crossroads of cultures has taken on the best influences from
its neighbours and has developed a unique gastronomic tradition
of its own. From gourmet restaurants to corner takeaways,
you can find food from all over the world to meet every budget.
In the many outdoor cafés and neighbourhood bistros you get
a feel for the lifestyle of this colourful, cosmopolitan city.
Sophisticated restaurants combine Mediterranean flair and a
northern European attention to detail and offer a uniquely satisfying
epicurean experience.
The bounty of Basel
Basel has no end of specialities: Mehlsuppe (brown flour soup)
and Zwiebelwähe (onion tart) are traditionally served at Fasnacht
(carnival) celebrations. All year there are sweet honey-andalmond
scented Läckerli, and for the New Year there is Hypokras,
an herbal wine. But what makes Basel truly special is the extent
to which it embraces foreign gastronomic traditions – only to
develop them even further.
Variety is a speciality
Part of the gastronomic variety that the people of Basel cherish
derives from the ease with which they can hop over the border.
They go to Alsace in France, to savour fresh asparagus in spring
or a sausage and sauerkraut dish in the autumn, or for an
excursion to a thoroughly French restaurant. It is just as easy
to cross the border to the Baden region in Germany to dine at a
fine restaurant or to visit a humble Straussenwirtschaft, where
farmers are permitted to sell their own produce at certain times
of year, for a freshly fermented apple or grape juice in an
improvized but welcoming garden. But for those looking to get
some fresh air on a summer’s evening, or to make the most of
a sunny weekend, nothing beats an excursion into the countryside
of Basel’s neighbouring canton of Baselland. The views
are gorgeous, whether of the vineyards that produce the outstanding
local wines, or of the cherry trees that are the basis of
the region’s famous Kirsch (cherry brandy); and the hostelries
offer the kind of warm, cosy welcome that you only get in country
areas. As for the city of Basel, it offers an exceptionally colourful
variety of dining experiences, from award-winning gastronomic
restaurants to good old-fashioned Basel brasseries, and
hip restaurants serving the latest in streamlined food. After
eating, there are countless pubs, cafés and bistros for a nightcap
or many clubs in which to dance the night away.
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