Visiting Basel is an excellent plan for a long weekend in Europe! This Swiss city is the third largest in terms of population in the country and is full of surprises.

Strategically located close to France and Germany, Basel can easily be combined with some cities in neighbouring countries, notably the Alsace region in France, which is particularly magical at Christmas time.

Basel is a relatively small city, but its main attractions are well worth a visit and make it a great destination in Central Europe. In fact, the city is often considered the cultural capital of Switzerland and some of its museums are well known.

I visited Basel on a four-day getaway, where I also had the opportunity to visit other places in the Alsace region, such as Colmar, Riquewihr and Strasbourg in France. Given the proximity of this destination to these places, Basel is an excellent starting point for a trip to this region.

It is in the summer (June to September) that we find the mildest temperatures and the least chance of rain.

So, unless you’re planning to visit Basel’s Christmas markets, June to September are the best months to visit Basel. As well as higher temperatures and less chance of rainfall, there are more sunny days, allowing you to maximise your Basel itinerary.

For example, I visited Basel at the beginning of June and, although it was hot, it rained the whole time I was there. Even so, it didn’t spoil the visit or my first impressions of the city.

For example, in my case, I only spent one day in Basel and that was enough to wander around the city’s main points of interest (just keep in mind that I chose not to visit any museums).

Although I visited the city on a Saturday in June, I didn’t come across an absurd amount of tourists, similar to what happens in some European cities. What’s more, the locals’ lifestyle seemed very relaxed, with lots of people riding bicycles all over the city. In fact, Basel is often considered one of the best cities to live in the world.

By now, my answer to this question is pretty obvious: yes, Basel is well worth a visit.

It’s called EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg because it serves three cities in three different countries – Switzerland, France and Germany.

From the train station, you can quickly reach Basel’s tourist attractions, but you can always use public transport in the city to get to places further away.

Bus tickets can be bought from the machines next to the airport’s exit. The journey takes around 20 minutes and costs less than 5€.

For other nationalities, I recommend checking the official websites to find out what documents are needed specifically for each country of origin.

To make purchases in a currency other than the one I usually use (Euro), I always use the Revolut card, which has several advantages. One of the biggest advantages of using a Revolut card when travelling is that it doesn’t charge any fees for transactions in different currencies.

The good news is that there is free Wifi in many places in the city, which will help you browse the internet while strolling around the city. Even so, if you want to have internet all the time, I suggest buying a SIM, which can be useful for using Google Maps, for example. I suggest, for example, this e-SIM option, which has various plans at affordable prices.

However, there are a few exceptions where it might make sense to use Basel’s public transport network. One of the most popular ways of getting around the city are trams and buses.

There are day passes that cost 10.7 CHF (~11€) and give you access to all transports in the city. This was the option I chose as I wanted to travel by transport a few times on the day I visited the city. You can check the most up-to-date prices here.

💡 EXTRA TIP: If you’re staying overnight in Basel, the city’s hotels offer the BaselCard, which includes a public transport pass for the number of days of your stay. So before you buy any travel pass, I suggest you check with your accommodation.

Concerning accommodation, an alternative option is, for example, to look for accommodation in France or Germany, which are quite close to Basel and where accommodation tends to be cheaper.

As far as meals are concerned, it is possible to save some money by eating in fast-food restaurants or supermarkets (I tried Coop, which had a good selection of hot meals), but the prices are still higher than usual. Although it’s not easy to find cheaper meals in Basel, it’s not an impossible task. A good example is the Markthalle market, where you’ll find food from around the world at relatively acceptable prices for the country’s reality (16€-25€ for each dish).

The card offers discounts at some of the city’s museums, at Basel Zoo, on some tourist buses and on city tours. You can check out all the benefits of the BaselCard.

Not to be missed are Marktplatz, where you’ll find the most colourful building in the whole city (Rathaus), some of the gates that were part of the old city walls, Basel’s Cathedral and the lively Spalenberg district.

Basel is undoubtedly a city packed with surprises! Although they’re not on the list of things to do in Basel that I’m going to share below, don’t forget to look out for the water fountains scattered around the city or to admire the locals floating down the Rhine River.

There are several water fountains all over the city. Although it’s not worth looking for all the 200 fountains that exist in the city, try to find at least one or two, as they are usually funny.

Locals floating down the Rhine is one of the most fun facts about Basel that, unfortunately, I didn’t get to witness on my visit. However, it seems that locals often take advantage of the river’s current to get to places during the warmer months. They even have a waterproof bag (Wicklefisch) where they put their belongings to make travelling easier😅!

But, without further ado, here’s what to do in Basel for one day.

When I visited, it was raining and it was rather a cloudy and grey day. However, this is a beautiful spot in the city and certainly worth a visit on sunny days.

Halfway across the bridge, you’ll find a small chapel (Käppelijoch), which is also worth admiring.

It’s also on Marktplatz that you’ll find one of Basel’s most colourful buildings – its town hall (Rathaus). It’s impossible to miss this monument as its façade is red with quite pretty frescoes.

You can visit inside the Rathaus, but only by guided tour, which lasts around 30 minutes. Tours are only available on Saturdays from 4.30 pm to 5 pm (in English) or from 3.30 pm to 4 pm (in German). The visit costs 10 CHF (~10.3€).

Although I visited on a Saturday, there was an event taking place that day, so it wasn’t possible to visit inside. However, you can still visit the inner courtyard, which is also very beautiful.

💡 EXTRA TIP: One of the best views of the Town Hall can be found on the top floor of the McDonald’s located on Marktplatz, just opposite the Town Hall building.

I visited on a Saturday, which may have helped how I felt about this area in the city, but it was one of my favourite parts of Basel. Despite the prohibitive prices, I wanted to have a peek at (almost) every shop 😁. What’s more, there were plenty of locals on these streets, going about their unhurried weekend lives.

💡 EXTRA TIP: Make the most of your time in the Spalenberg quarter to take a look at the Gerbergässlein mural, which features various graffiti by famous musical artists. This is one of the best-known pieces of street art in Basel, although there are others scattered around the city.

💡 EXTRA TIP: One of the best ways to learn more about the history of Basel and its monuments is on a walking tour. There are several available, but I recommend this 2-hour tour which explores the main points of interest in Basel’s Old Town, also known as the Altstadt.

The buildings in this part of the city are also quite pretty, but the highlight is Basel’s Cathedral, also known as Basler Münster. The cathedral is quite impressive from the outside, but I didn’t find it that extraordinary inside, although it is still beautiful nevertheless. The cathedral’s cloisters are also worth a visit.

📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: Entry to Basel’s Cathedral is free. Check the Cathedral’s opening hours here.

You should also consider going up to the Cathedral’s tower, as you’ll find one of the best panoramic views of Basel. Unfortunately, when I visited the Cathedral, they were no longer allowing people to climb the tower that day. In any case, I am sharing it anyway, as it’s a place that tourists seem to enjoy in the city. The visit costs 6 CHF (6.2€).

Alternatively, you can go to the Pfalz viewpoint at the back of the cathedral, from where you can also get a beautiful view of the Rhine. This part is even easier to access and has the advantage of being free.

Outside of this time of year, the square isn’t so charming, so I’d rather skip it.

The fountain is located where there used to be a theatre and, for this reason, the iron figures move, looking like actors and dancers on a stage.

💡 EXTRA TIP: The fountain is cleaned on Wednesday mornings, so it isn’t operating during that period.

There are also guided tours of its towers, from where you can also admire Basel from another perspective.

Nowadays, although there are still a few stalls selling this type of product, you can mostly find stalls selling food from around the world. The prices end up being lower than some restaurants in the city and there are several options available.

What’s more, this market is very close to Basel railway station, so it can be an excellent option for a meal if you’re arriving in the city and feeling hungry 😉.

Although the funny concept, this is one of the furthest points on this itinerary and, quite honestly, I didn’t think it was worth it. This monument, which marks the division of borders, is technically on Swiss territory, from where we can see France and Germany. And that’s about it 😁.

I hope this post has sparked your desire to visit Basel, as this is an often underrated destination in Central Europe. Whether it’s in winter with the Christmas markets in their splendour or in summer with the locals floating down the Rhine River, I’m sure Basel will be a pleasant surprise and a good choice 🥰!

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