A city to enjoy. A journey through Basel with coffee importer Vanía Nzeyimana.
Scroll
Intro
With its rich history and vibrant coffee culture, Basel is a wonderful place for coffee connoisseurs. The Rhine, Europe’s main waterway, plays an important role in the import of coffee and other goods. Basel has a long history in the coffee trade and is known for its high standards of quality and taste.
Basel
Basel offers a unique combination of art, culture, architecture and culinary delights. The city is home to a variety of museums, including the Kunstmuseum Basel, which houses one of the world’s largest and most important collections of art from the Renaissance to the present day. Basel’s historic old town is another highlight. Here, Basel Minster – a historic cathedral from the 15th century – stands proudly among the charming alleys and squares.
Hint
Vanía Nzeyimana
Vanía Nzeyimana was born in Rwanda and grew up near Basel. She had always liked Rwandan coffee, but the idea of getting involved in the coffee business was merely a dream at first. When she visited the coffee company Kivubelt Coffee in Rwanda, it had become clear to her that she wanted to pursue its fair and sustainable trade. She ventured into self-employment and founded SOMAHO Speciality Coffee.
Basel, the cycling city.
Scroll
Vanía is a businesswoman with a green conscience. Whenever possible, she goes by bike to her appointments in Basel. She not only protects the environment this way, but also gets to see the city in all its splendour. Her daily business appointments take her past breathtaking sights such as the “Window to heaven” at the Messe Basel exhibition centre, the Novartis Pavilion and the beautiful banks of the Rhine. A great way to combine work and relaxation!
- 16% of all journeys in Basel are completed by bike. This puts Basel at the top of the Swiss city comparison.
- Guest Bike Basel Overnight guests can discover the city by e-bike with their BaselCard for just CHF 20 a day. Get kitted out at Rent a Bike at the SBB railway station.
Coffee is a craft.
Scroll
In the local roastery kaffeemacher.ch, Vanía has the imported green coffee beans transformed into a fine coffee. But it doesn’t stop at roasting. Businesses regularly carry out something known as “cupping”, an international standard of coffee tasting and quality control. Acidity, body and aroma are analysed and the coffee is checked to ensure it has no defects. The demand for locally roasted speciality coffee is not only increasing in Basel’s gastronomy sector – more and more people like it so much that they are also buying it for their own machines at home.
Consumers want to know the origins of the products they buy.
Basel, the coffee city.
Scroll
Basel has an established coffee culture and boasts many trendy and charming cafés. These include Café Frühling, Avant-Gouz and Kaffee-Mobile. Coffee culture has become an important part of the city’s lifestyle. They are little havens of peace and tranquility.
These cafés are real havens of peace and tranquility.
Vanía turned her dream into a solid business. She is proud of Basel’s long history and culture and enjoys being part of this vibrant community. Illustrator and street artist Patrizia Stalder has immortalised Vanía on a 20m x 5m wall mural in the Erlenmatt district.