Basel recommendations

[DibbleDooDah]

On a whim we booked cheap BA flights to Basel for three nights in October half term. Family of four with two teen daughters.

We have two full days and a half day for doing things. The girls are well travelled, like sightseeing, museums, galleries etc to a point. Also love a shop!!! Relatively adventurous with food - one a vegetarian.

Any recommendations for things to see and do, places to eat etc? Probably going to stay at the Movenpick.

Definitely explore the Old Town around the Spalenberg - there are lots of historic alleyways, decorated buildings and cute shops (one of which is a year-round Christmas shop!)
You could also do a day trip to Zurich (just over an hour away by train) for the Lindt Home of Chocolate, WOW museum, Uetliberg mountain, boat trip and the moving Eureka sculpture which puts on an 8 minute show 3 times a day.

The museums often have good exhibitions. The Rheinfalls are not far away. Tran to Bern, Lucerne or Zurich.

A regular bus runs from Basel Mulhouse airport into the centre terminating at the main train station SBB where there are lots of tram connections outside.

Have a look for events and activities on the website This is Basel, I'm a resident but I still use it to find out what's on :

www.basel.com/DE

(You can select English and sign up for notifications )

The Herbstmesse is the last week of October into November so you may miss that one.

If you have a hotel booked you'll get a tourist card which will cover your trams and buses.

You'll be on the French border so Colmar is also nice to visit. The German towns of Loerrach and Rheinfelden are nearby too, it's possible to do three countries in a day!

Pop into the famous Christmas shop open all year www.johannwanner.ch/

Apart from that we are awash with Art Galleries, and the ARTour app can be fun to download and use. It's definitely worth a visit to the Tinguely museum and also to see the Tinguely fountain next to the Theatre www.tinguely.ch/en.html

Basel is the famous hub for big Pharma so there is a museum for that too pharmaziemuseum.ch/de/

Brunch at the Reithalle in Wenkenpark is nice, but I'd recommend booking www.bistroreithalle.ch/de/willkommen

Also can recommend the restaurant Zum Schmale Wurf right on the Rhein for cosy Mediterranean dining.

Gifthuettli for Coron Bleu. The truffle one is amazing www.gifthuettli.ch/

Check the dates for Rhein sailings on the Schyff. It's a lovely experience and I think it will still be possible in October. If sailings are running you can pick it up from Schifflande and pay on the boat at the bar. bpg.ch/en/home

It’s a few years since we went but I really liked it. It’s very walkable with attractive buildings everywhere (and I’m not a fan of cities). It was all terribly expensive, but as everything’s now terribly expensive here it may have levelled out a bit.

Basel is the famous hub for big Pharma so there is a museum for that too pharmaziemuseum.ch/de/

When we were there the museum had a very weird and disturbing crocodile skeleton thing hanging in the window. I wonder if it’s still there.

Just saw the vegetarian note - Tibits is a well known Vegetarian buffet. You pay by the plate weight. www.tibits.ch/de/blog/detail/Tibits-Basel

Blind Kuh is also an interesting concept, and the area it is in has a lot of cool restaurants and bars serving food (Gundeli) www.blindekuh.ch/restaurant-in-the-dark-blindekuh-basel.html

Markthalle by the SBB has loads of food stalls so you can pick individual places and eat together. They have special events and flea markets too. altemarkthalle.ch/

Also if you love shopping on Thursday afternoon to evening the Fossil Outlet store is open (Tramstop Musical Theatre normally tram 14). Sign up to their mailing list as there is an offer every week on top of the outlet discount - not just Fossil watches - leathers, shades, jewellery and also other brands - Skagen, Michael Kors, Armani, Armani Exchange, Diesel, Zodiac, Kate Spade and Tory Burch.

There is an outlet centre on the border in Germany in Weil Rhein with Puma, Carhartt etc. You can get over the border with Tram 8, I think you buy a small ticket extension to cross.

Europa park is near as well if you have teenagers.

stein am Rhein is good for a day trip as are all the others mentioned

I'll have a look next week and let you know @SnakesAndArrows 😅

There's also the slightly disturbing big rats in the Schauenlager 😂

schaulager.org/en/exhibitions/permanent-installations/fritsch-rattenkoenig#:~:text=This%20remarkable%20sculpture%20consists%20of,and%20their%20front%20paws%20raised.

The crocodiles thing was worse 🤣. I could post a photo but then the thread would need a content warning. We kept going back (sometimes accidentally) to have a look to see if it was as bizarre as we thought.

Like all of Switzerland, it is crushingly expensive.

That aside, it's a lovely little city and the old centre us easily walkable, as well as a nice strong of restaurants down by the Rhine.

If the kids like sports, you will be there the week of the Swiss Indoors tennis tournament, which is well worth a visit, and easy to get to on the tram from the city centre. (If you are in a hotel, your city tax will cover free public transport, and the trams are fun to use - look out for the one dedicated to the city's most famous son, Roger Federer).

Also, you can go to so many places by train from the main railway station - Zurich is just one.

So many wonderful suggestions - thank you! I had thought about getting the train to Lucerne for the day but we don’t really need to pack things in. I’d love to spend a couple of weeks travelling around Switzerland in the future and take my time.

Sounds like it could be a good little place for a mini break and two and a half days enough time to really get a taste for the place.