Basel Zoo, Binningerstrasse 40, +41 61 295 35 35, . Basel's most visited paid tourism attraction. It is the oldest and largest (by number of animals) zoo in Switzerland, with easy access by walking or tram from the central SBB station. For a zoo located in the center of a city it is big with great variety. Have lunch watching the elephants and take some time to see the monkeys solving problems for food in the Monkey House.
Rhine river. In warm weather, be sure to spend some time in the afternoon enjoying the sun by the Rhine, walking along the 2 mile/ 3 km promenade on the Kleinbasel board, or take a dip in it if it's really hot, as many locals do (see Sports in the Do section, and Stay safe).
A freighter making its way up the Rhine
Walk over the bridges: they offer excellent vantage points to see river - and river bank - life. Even better - cross the Rhine by Faehri. See Getting Around, By Boat.
The world-class construction projects at Voltaplatz. The first is the building of a tunnel under the city streets for traffic entering and leaving France. This traffic has been using surface routes to the bridge over the Rhine for decades. The project has been causing chaos for years, further complicated by the unearthing of ancient ruins in the excavation. Not be be ignored is the nearby Novartis campus reconstruction project . This immense building project will totally renovate the look of the campus and integrate with the tunnel project to create a revitalized and attractive neighborhood and serene parkland along the Rhine River. The sheer number and size of the construction cranes in this area is awesome! And the entire area is accessible and transportation continues to flow every day in the midst of all this construction.
Chase The Third Man? While Carol Reed's classic post-war film noir actually takes place in Vienna, you can recreate its dark atmosphere by taking a guided tour of Basel's underground sewerage system (don't worry, this being Switzerland, it's not overly smelly). After entering a tunnel at Heuwaage, you follow the Birsig river underground to its estuary in the Rhine. The 1 1/4 hour tour ends at Restaurant Safran-Zunft in the city center, where you are taken up into the light again - and to tasty snacks. Because the tour requires a group to justify the somewhat high cost of CHF 250.- (per group, not person) you should either find like-minded folks or try to join an existing group. Contact the urban planning firm Lindenberg 3, +41 61 683 56 52, for details and reservation.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Basel
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Basel - updated May 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Basel hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
Basel Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
