Travel guide for Basel, Switzerland
Travel Guide🇨🇭 Switzerland

Basel Travel Guide

Everything you need to know before visiting Basel, Switzerland. From transportation and safety to local customs and practical tips.

CHF (Fr.)
French
Very High Safety

About Basel

One of Switzerland's underrated tourist destinations, Basel has a beautiful medieval old town centre, a fascinating carnival, and several world class art museums built by architects like Renzo Piano, Mario Botta and Herzog & De Meuron. Basel is also rich in architecture old and new, with a Romanesque Münster (cathedral), a Renaissance Rathaus (town hall), and various examples of high quality contemporary architecture, including more buildings by Herzog & De Meuron, Richard Meier, Diener & Diener, and various others. Located in the Dreiländereck (three countries' corner), Basel is a gateway to the Swiss Jura mountains and nearby cities of Zürich and Lucerne, as well as the neighbouring French region of Alsace and the German Black Forest. There are a number of things to see and do if you have a few days to spend.

Source: Wikipedia

Essential Information

Currency

Swiss franc (CHF)

Symbol: Fr.

Language

French

Also: Swiss German, Italian, Romansh

Phone Code

+41

International dialing code for Switzerland

Driving

Drive on the right

Standard for Switzerland

Region

Europe

Western Europe

Connectivity

As of Sept 2021, Basel has 4G from Salt, and 5G from Sunrise and Swisscom. It also has 4G from all French and all German carriers. Wifi is widely available in public places.

How to Get to Basel

Transportation options and arrival information

If you enter Basel from France, remember the name is spelled "Bâle" in French. You may not find "Basel" on maps.

Safety in Basel

Very High Safety (Global Peace Index: 1.357)

About the Global Peace Index: Global Peace Index measures peacefulness on a scale of 1 (most peaceful) to 5 (least peaceful)

Source: Institute for Economics & Peace (2022)

Where to Stay in Basel

Accommodation tips and recommendations

Always a good plan to book early, and essential if you hope to stay in Basel duringFasnacht[dead link],BaselWorld, orArt | Basel.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

5 protected sites near Basel

Old City of Bern

Old City of Bern

Urban area in Switzerland

Cemetery of the Uhlans

Cemetery of the Uhlans

War cemetery in France

Inscribed: 1915
Learn more
Memorial stones and tombs of Petit Donon

Memorial stones and tombs of Petit Donon

War memorial in France

Romanian Military Cemetery of Soultzmatt

Romanian Military Cemetery of Soultzmatt

Foreign military cemetery maintained in perpetuity at the expense of the French State in France

Inscribed: 2000
Learn more
Hohrod German war cemetery

Hohrod German war cemetery

War cemetery in France

Inscribed: 1920
Learn more

Things to See in Basel

17 landmarks and points of interest

Aeschenschwibbogen

tower

Amerbach Cabinet

collection of the Amerbach family

Château de Landskron

castle

Dorneck Castle

castle ruin in Dornach in the canton of Solothurn, Switzerland

Frohberg Castle

castel in Aesch in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland

Gate of Blaise

tower

Gate of Riehen

tower

Gate of Saint Alban

tower

Gate of Spalen

tower

Kunstmuseum Basel

art museum in Basel, Switzerland

Reichenstein Castle

castle in Arlesheim in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland

Ruins Altenberg

castle ruin in Füllinsdorf in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland

Source: Wikidata

Travel information sourced from Wikivoyage

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