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.