Steal my itinerary: Basel, Switzerland
If you haven’t been to Basel, Switzerland, you’re missing out. This city on the Rhine River near the French and German borders is one of the most interesting places I’ve ever been.
Basel feels like a beach town but without the sand. On hot summer days, you’ll see people wandering around town in their bathing suits, ice cream cones and Aperol spritzes in hand. From a distance, you’ll see what looks like brightly colored ducks floating in the river. Take a closer look and you’ll notice they’re not ducks—they’re people.
Floating along the river with a specially-designed Wicklefisch bag is a preferred method of commuting around here. People stash their clothes, towels and whatever else they need into these brightly-colored waterproof bags that roll up and clip around their waist. The bags help them float along the river toward their destination while making swimmers more visible to passing ships.
It’s some of the most interesting people-watching in the world.
Beyond the Rhine River, Basel is a cosmopolitan city where you could spend months enveloping yourself in art, architecture and sculpture. I made it to two of the city’s 40 museums, caught excellent street music performances, walked across a Medieval bridge and through the meticulously maintained Medieval town hall and stumbled onto some excellent street art.
Here’s how to plan your own perfect trip to Basel, the most underrated summer destination in Switzerland.
Where to Stay:
I opted for the sleek and stylish Arthouse Basel, a 33-room boutique hotel with a rooftop bar located on a pedestrian shopping street near both the city center and public transit. Arthouse Basel is within walking distance of several museums and the historic city center.
Hotels in Switzerland aren’t cheap. I accounted for that in my trip budget and ended up paying around $200 a night for a spacious room with a private bathroom, king-size bed and free minibar. The front desk welcomed me with a coffee and a free pass for public transit and most local museums, which felt really nice.
My room was spacious, especially by European standards. It was stylish, casual, well-designed and ready when I arrived around 11 a.m. It had a desk, coffeemaker, electric kettle and air conditioning system.
Arthouse Basel opened during the pandemic, so it still looks and feels brand new. It’s got personality and a sense of humor. I would shop the bedding and decor if it was an option.
Arthouse Basel
Steinenvorstadt 42
4051 Basel, Switzerland
https://www.arthousebasel.ch/en/
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Where to Eat:
I ate my way around the world without having to leave Basel and loved pretty much every meal I had.
One night I had excellent authentic South Indian food at an international food market, one of the many food halls that have been popping up in cities around the world. Another night I had homemade spinach ravioli al fresco while listening to a mariachi band perform at a Mexican restaurant across the street. Later, I sipped a glass of wine from the hotel rooftop while a bachata class was in full swing about 100 feet away.
I popped into a Burger King to see what interesting things might be on the menu and found a delicious halloumi burger I would love to see make it onto more menus as the world embraces vegetarianism.
Basel, like the rest of Switzerland, isn’t cheap. I ended up spending an average of about $25 per meal. I had a couple of glasses of wine that were between $10 and $15 each.
What to Do:
You know the city where Art Basel got its start has a thriving art scene. Basel is home to more than 40 museums, a seemingly endless supply of statement water fountains and lots of great street art. Look up often because you never know what creativity you might see.
To take yourself on an unforgettable museum crawl, start with Kunstmuseum Basel, a sprawling museum whose collection includes works by Vincent Van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Paul Cézanne and more. Take a minute to check out the gorgeous stained glass windows on your way into the museum.
For more audacious work from emerging artists, head to Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland’s oldest contemporary art museum. For something a bit quirkier, head to the Tinguely Museum.
Jean Tinguely is a Swiss sculptor raised in Basel whose trademark was kinetic art sculptural machines. His work set out to satirize automation and call out the overproduction of material goods. Tinguely died in 1991, and I wonder what he would create in response to AI and Shein.
If you don’t want to make the trek to Tinguely Museum, you’ll find several of the Swiss artist’s pieces set within Tinguely Fountain.
For the original Art Basel experience, visit in mid-June when Art Basel is held each year. A trio of local gallery owners started Art Basel here in 1970. Over 16,000 people attended the first Art Basel international art fair decades before it became the international cultural phenomenon it is now.
Once you’ve gotten your fill of art in Basel, consider visiting a nearby wine region, cheese or chocolate factory or making an ambitious day trip into the Swiss Alps. Basel is about an hour’s train ride from Colmar, a charming well-preserved medieval town in the French Alsace and just over two hours by train from Mount Pilatus in the Swiss Alps.
You can support this site by booking through our partner links. While we may earn a commission when you purchase through our partner links, views expressed are the author’s alone and not subject to review by the businesses mentioned.
