About Basel
Modern city with a historical town center and many interesting museums. In French, the city is called Bâle.
HOTELS
These are the hotels we suggest for your stay.
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RENTALS
Rent an apartment or holiday home in or around Basel.
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FORUM
Any questions left about Basel? Feel free to post to the forum!
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This is what Basel has to offer
Basel is the entry point to Switzerland for many travelers coming from France or Germany. It's the first stop in Switzerland of many international trains, and the EuroAirport in France is very close.
Basel is where the river Rhine leaves Switzerland to continue its way to Germany and The Netherlands. The cruises from Amsterdam to Basel are quite popular.
The landscape is hilly, and the Jura mountains are not far away. The Swiss Alps aren't near: 1 to 2 hours away by train.
The views from the highway or from the train don't do justice to the city of Basel. Once you begin to explore it, it is actually very attractive: the historical town center and its many museums are absolutely worth a visit.
Basel in winter
Basel isn’t the ideal base town for a snow holiday. If you want to see the snowy Alps, you’ll first have to travel a couple of hours.
Basel can be nice in winter if you want to explore the town itself and other cities. Many cities can easily be reached in a couple of hours.
The best season for a winter visit to Basel is late November and December, because there’s a wonderful Christmas atmosphere in town. You’ll find a large Christmas market at the Barfüsserplatz. Decorations and illumination in the old town add to the holiday feeling. There are many Advent activities. You can travel around in a special Christmas ferry and a Christmas tram.
Reasons to stay in Basel
If you are planning a long vacation in Switzerland (e.g. two weeks or more), you can start with a day or two in Basel if you're interested in culture, museums and city visits in general. Then proceed to the Alps to see the mountains.
If you have booked a late flight to Basel or an early flight from Basel, it makes sense to stay the night and explore the city for a couple of hours. You can find airport hotels here.
Reasons to skip Basel
Basel is situated in the north-western corner of Switzerland. Therefore, it's not ideal to explore Switzerland from here. Most of the country is too far away to realistically visit during a day trip. Basel can best be visited en route to Paris or Germany, or if you depart/arrive from Basel airport.
If you have limited time to see Switzerland, we recommend to go straight to the Alps, for example to Lucerne or the Bernese Oberland.
Off the tourist trail
Here are some additional suggestions that won't attract masses of tourists.
