Bars

Right at the top, in the tallest occupied building in Switzerland, really close to heaven, is the tempting BarRouge – a cocktail bar and nightclub all in one.

An edgier, art-punk crowd descends on Cargo Bar, which occupies a nearly unbeatable location on the banks of the river Rhine.

Elegant but informal Apéritif- and Cocktail-Bar in the singularly beautiful garden of the Kunsthalle near the Tinguely Fountain. Popular meeting place for an evening drink in a very high-spirited atmosphere.

The café-bar and lounge is a trendy gathering place in the heart of the city. Popular boulevard bar in the pedestrian zone of the Steinen suburb. Plenty of comfortable chairs in Mediterranean style. Italian coffee specialties and tapas.

See and be seen. A centrally located piano bar with artistic but not over-perfect decor. This stylishly refurbished pub has had a huge fan base for nearly 20 years. Sophisticated drinks, over 200 cocktails and an imaginative selection of beers. Single malts, very old port, sherries, rare spirits. VIP quality smoking lounge. Mood music every night from the man at the piano.

Galileo's is the trendy place for the "in" crowd to meet, with feng shui design. Very wide range at the bar. Speciality coffees, along with croissants, Mediterranean wines and beer, exotic cocktails, champagne and small but delicious meals. Open from apéritif time till late, daily live piano music.

On Friday and Saturday club-nights with concerts and partys take place in the time-honored Tis, which is as popular as ever. Atlantis is a complete work of art, which besides perfect sound and excellent cuisine also has a fine cocktail bar well-stocked with spirits.

This jazz club in Basel at Barfüsserplatz is located in a former prison gym, a kind of vaulted cellar, offering a perfect and authentic ambience. Five times a week, local, national and international jazz stars perform live.

Go to AHA!, head for the party room. Enjoy a few nice drinks, meet some happy people and you'll soon be in a good mood! And then... it's off to the dance floor, because our DJs play the hottest party hits of the last 30 years, non-stop and to suit all tastes, right through to the early hours...

Das Schiff (The Ship) in the Rhine harbour in Basel has been a cultural centre for gastronomy, clubbing, concerts and exhibitions since the middle of May 2005. Below decks, the music's the thing, where in the club and concert room you can enjoy musical delights of all kinds. From electronic to analogue, from spinning discs to big live bands, there's always a first-class line-up here.

The city's biggest night club, in chalet style, is in the basement of the St. Jakob ice rink. The sound ranges from house, soul, rock and oldies through to fox. From Wednesdays to Sundays, the programme has a different theme every night.