One day in Basel is enough to see all of the major sights but it definitely isn’t enough if you really want to experience the city. During our most recent European adventure, we decided to start our trip in the smaller and completely underrated city, Basel.
Like most trips, I landed on this particular itinerary because of Instagram. I swear the platform is half responsible for most of my travel bills. Basel was the perfect place to start our trip because there are some really cheap flights into the city from London. Plus, it’s incredibly well-located. From Basel you could easily venture into France, Germany or the Swiss Alps.
Because our itinerary was jam-packed, we only really allowed ourselves one day in Basel although we could have easily spent another couple.
| What to see and do |
I found the best way to really see Basel in one day was to truly just get lost. There are so many crooks and cranny’s that wandering around aimlessly was an absolute pleasure. If you have the chance I would definitely take a tour
Guided Tours
When I visit any city I really try to the best of my ability to get some sort of tour. There’s only so much you can read while you walk around without losing the opportunity to take in the place you’re in. Tours are the best way to see a city on foot while learning so much.
I really don’t think there is any better group to take you around than the Tourism organization itself. We were so lucky to have been taken around by a wonderful woman named Meret. She was super knowledgeable and a pleasure to walk around with. I find sometimes, private tours can be a bit awkward but I can assure you this wasn’t.
The tour took us through most of the major sights and Meret explained in more detail what we were seeing. I also loved that we did this in the beginning of our one day in Basel because it allowed us to get an idea of what we’d like to return to and see later on once we got the chance.
Basel Tourism has a number of different guided tours to offer so I’d encourage you to visit their website and check them out.
Basel Minster
You simply can’t visit Basel without taking a stroll to the Basel Minster. The building is made in a sandstone-like material which gives it the reddish tone. It’s stunning to see although from what Meret told us, it takes quite a bit of maintenance.
Located on a bit of a hill, it’s a great place to climb up and get some epic views of the city (or so we’ve been told, sadly we didn’t actually do it.
Make sure to take stock of the beautiful and colourful tiling on the side of the roof. It’s easy to miss if you aren’t paying attention but absolutely stunning if you take a glance of it.
Pflaz
If you’re looking for a great lookout point than you’ve definitely found it at Pflaz. Located just behind the Basel Minster you’ll want to get out on this terrace for the epic views.
If you’ve got some spare time make sure to take a few moments and watch the ferries as they shuttle people across the river. It’s not your typical ferry though the ones that cross the river. They have no motor. Attached to a line that stretches itself from one side of the river to another, the ‘driver’ of the boat simply changes the direction of the rudder and away it goes.
Kunstmuseum
As we mentioned before, we didn’t actually go inside any museums but had we had time or wanted to this would have been the one to do it. The Kunstmuseum is located in the main city and contains the largest (and most important) collection of artwork in Switzerland.
When Meret took us around she explained that many of the museums are actually created from donations from the residents. It’s a point of pride with those who live in Basel to donate back to the city. I think what I found most incredible about this place was that it took a whopping $112 million to create. Imagine how many trips around the world that could have funded!
Basel Town Hall
The Town Hall in Basel is not like anything I’ve seen before. It stood out in the most obvious of ways. A vibrant red and with detail very different from what you would expect in Basel, the building I thought almost looked as if it were Asian descent.
I couldn’t believe it but the building is 500 years old. That’s almost 5 times older than the country I live in!
If you plan a visit, make sure to walk inside to the inner courtyard and take a look around. The view is really something beautiful with the red surrounding you on all sides.
Gate of Spelen
The Gate is one of the only remains from ancient city walls of Basel. Its castle-like structure isn’t hard to miss as you walk into the city. Wait for the perfect moment for traffic to pass and you’ll be able to catch the best glimpse of the building for the perfect shot.
Tingley Fountain
This was a really cool spot to see. The fountain was right by our hotel and an easy walk from most areas of the city. The fountain was created in 1977 on a spot where the theatre used to be. As a tribute to the theatre, he created sculptures in the shallow pond to pay tribute.
All of the structures are meant to represent different facets of theatre life. Definitely take some time to walk around and figure out what each one is. Also, make sure to walk down the stairs nearby as they’ll show you each and every pipe in the fountain and even explains which structure is for each! I imagine this is a neat thing to do with kids.
Museums
One of the coolest facts that Meret shared with us on our tour around Basel was that they have one of the highest concentrations of museums in the world. There are 40 museums in the city. 40! Can you imagine? You could definitely never get bored of museums in this town that’s for sure.
While there are so many other things to see in the city, when you’re short on time it’s important to make sure you’re seeing the top items on your list!
| Where to stay |
I found the city incredibly walkable which was great. We took an easy bus right from the airport to the train station and had a short walk to our hotel from there.
The hotel we stayed at was Motel One. Don’t be fooled by the name though, this hotel was super modern and in one of the best locations you could ask for. When only staying one day in Basel you want to make sure you’re well located so that you can easily make your way around the city.
The best spots I found for staying in hotels is the Altstadt Grossbasel and Alstadt Kleinbasel. They are both located close enough to all the major sights that you can walk everywhere. However, I found Altstadt Grossbasel to be the best and most central.
There you have it, everything you should be doing for one day in Basel.
*We were provided the tour in kind by Basel Tourism but all thoughts and opinions are our own. Please keep in mind this post does contain affiliate links. If you’re interested in learning more about how that works, please visit our Privacy and disclaimer page.
