Basel Cities

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Intro

Home to 40 museums, the city of culture for connoisseurs has the highest concentration of museums in the country. Basel also has a beautiful Old Town, modern architecture, and the Rhine – an inviting spot to rest a while.

Description

Basel is Switzerland's oldest university city. Historic landmarks of the city include the large market square with its richly decorated red sandstone town hall and the late Romanesque-Gothic cathedral. During a walk through the old town, past small boutiques, antique book shops but also shops of modern designers, a visit to the "Läckerli Huus" to try the traditional Basel honey cake is well worth your while. Basel is tradition-conscious and open-minded at the same time, a fact born out by several modern buildings designed by renowned architects such as Herzog & de Meuron, Mario Botta, Diener & Diener and Richard Meyer.

Almost 40 museums make Basel the city with the highest density of museums in the country. Internationally known museums, such as the Basel Art Museum, the museum devoted to the iron sculptor Jean Tinguely, the Fondation Beyeler and the Museum of Cultures attract a great many visitors, as do several galleries and playhouses. Basel is among other things home to the symphony orchestra and the chamber orchestra as well as the musical theatre featuring international productions. And a wide range of classical and contemporary productions are shown on the stages of the Basel Theatre and the Playhouse.
 
Basel is a green city. The Botanical Gardens, the Merian Gärten and the banks of the Rhine are perfect places to relax and linger for a while. And the Etoscha House at the zoo Basel offers spectacular insights into the Namibian Savannah.
You can easily explore Basel on foot or by bike. There are four Rhine ferries that connect Grossbasel with Kleinbasel.

At nearby Augusta Raurica near Augst impressive ruins and a great many finds at the museum bear testimony to the busy lives of the Romans in the region in the past. The charming countryside of the Basel region with its many cherry trees in spring boasts a particularly beautiful display of blooms. Germany and France, the Black Forest and Vosges Mountains are only a stone's throw away from the border city of Basel.

The yearly Fasnacht (Carnival) is the most important celebration for the people of Basel. On the Monday following Ash Wednesday the city rises with the "Morgenstraich". At four in the morning on the dot all the lights in the city go out and a colourful and brilliant procession through the streets of the city begins.

BaselCard
If you stay overnight in Basel, you can benefit from discounts on numerous cultural and leisure activities with the BaselCard. The personal guest card is available free of charge with every booking in Basel accommodation and can also be downloaded to a smartphone as a web app. 

Winter

Basel is widely regarded as Switzerland's cultural capital, and with good reason: in this city you will encounter art at every turn, whether you stroll through the beautiful Old Town or visit one of almost 40 museums. What's more, Basel also features top-class modern architecture just waiting to be discovered on a city tour.
Basel's Christmas market on Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz is considered one of the most beautiful and largest in Switzerland. During the pre-Christmas period, many events and spectacular special exhibitions in the museums also enrich the city's cultural offerings.

Summer

Basel's secret landmark is the Rhine. People relax in the charming buvettes - the lovingly designed, small open-air gastronomic establishments - or let themselves be carried along by the gentle current in the river. On a hot summer day, there is hardly anything more beautiful than cooling off by swimming in the Rhine while watching the backdrop of the city pass by.

Conferences and congresses

Basel’s central location, first-class public transport connections and modern infrastructure make it a leading venue for trade fairs and conventions. The Congress Center Basel, located right in the middle of the city, is the largest and most modern convention centre in Switzerland. Basel is located in the heart of Europe, straddling the Rhine. The city is at the centre of the idyllic area where the borders of Switzerland, Germany and France converge. Getting here is easy, with the EuroAirport only around 15 minutes from the city centre. Rail passengers can arrive at either the city’s SBB railway station or the Basel Badischer station operated by Deutsche Bahn. The city’s proximity to the border means that visitors can also arrive by TGV and ICE.

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Experiences & Activities

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  • Basel, Basel Region Hotel Merian 4 Stars

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  • Basel, Basel Region Jugendherberge Basel l Stars

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  • Basel, Basel Region Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois 5 Stars

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  • Basel, Basel Region Volkshaus Basel 4 Stars

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  • Basel, Basel Region GAIA HOTEL 4 Stars

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  • Basel, Basel Region Hotel Schweizerhof Basel 3 Stars

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  • Basel, Basel Region Der Teufelhof Basel 3 Stars

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  • Basel, Basel Region Hotel Krafft Basel 4 Stars

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  • Basel, Basel Region Nomad Design & Lifestyle Hotel 4 Stars

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  • Basel, Basel Region Hotel Victoria Basel 4 Stars

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  • Hotel Wettstein, Basel Team meeting for 8 people at Hotel Wettstein

    The meeting room with daylight offers 29.5 m² of comfortable space for 8 people.You have the option...
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    valid: 19.03.2024 - 20.12.2024

    Learn more about Team meeting for 8 people at Hotel Wettstein
  • Der Teufelhof Basel AG, Basel Summer in the City – Meeting Pauschale

    1 night, Are you planning a meeting in Basel in July or August 2024 and still looking for a suitable... from CHF 275
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    Single room
    valid: 01.07.2024 - 31.08.2024

    Learn more about Summer in the City – Meeting Pauschale
  • Hotel Euler, Basel “Meet Ten, Pay Nine”

    Book a meeting for ten delegates for the rate of nine delegate rates at the Hotel Euler in Basel....
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    valid: 19.03.2024 - 31.12.2024

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  • Basel Mountainbike Holidays Jura Bike Basel - Nyon

    8 nights, The Jura Bike tour likes to show its teeth once in a while when riding from Basel to Nyon. If you... from CHF 1,579
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    Price per person in double room
    valid: 19.03.2024 - 31.12.2024

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  • Bar Rouge, Basel Love in the sky wedding magic at a height of 105 m

    Celebrate your wedding at Bar Rouge Basel, 105 metres above the rooftops of the city, with...
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    valid: 19.03.2024 - 01.08.2025

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  • Mövenpick Hotel Basel, Basel Meeting? More like ‘Mee-TEN’! Get 10% off now!

    Meet with your team or clients to connect, share knowledge and build relationships! Host a Mee-TEN...
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    valid: 19.03.2024 - 31.03.2024

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  • Mövenpick Hotel Egerkingen, Basel Meeting? More like ‘Mee-TEN’! Get 10% off now!

    Host your meeting at any Mövenpick hotel in Germany, Switzerland and The Netherlands and get 10%...
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    valid: 19.03.2024 - 31.03.2024

    Learn more about Meeting? More like ‘Mee-TEN’! Get 10% off now!
  • Hotel Euler, Basel Meet 10, Pay 9 Seminar Special

    Use the Code "Seminar Special" to book a conference for 10 participants for the price of nine...
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    Without overnight stay
    valid: 19.03.2024 - 31.12.2024

    Learn more about Meet 10, Pay 9 Seminar Special
  • Basel Cycling holidays Jura-Route

    7 nights, The hilly ridges of the Jura stretch from Basel to Lake Geneva - the mysterious landscapes off the... from CHF 1,365
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    Price per person in double room
    valid: 19.03.2024 - 31.12.2024

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Travel information: Basel