10 Basel Switzerland Points of Interest For First Time Visitors

Here are the best Basel Switzerland points of interest to visit before it becomes super popular. Many people who want to go on a family tour to Switzerland are confused about which place to visit?

Well, Switzerland is one of the most favorite places when it comes to tourism. And in Switzerland, the Basel town holds a significant ground in tourism and has many points of interest to explore.

For its cultural arts and many other things, it is counted in Switzerland’s best places. There might be only a few other cities, which can match the beauty and attraction of Basel for its cultural charm.

What is Basel Famous For?

Basel is renowned for its beautiful location present along the river Rhine, which is located just next to the country’s German and French border.

The Basel Switzerland point interest includes cultural and fine arts, historical museums, and these museums are operated along with the University of Basel.

Moreover, you can estimate the number of museums as you will be able to find more than one museum per kilometer. Therefore, The count exceeds more than forty, which is undoubtedly a great deal for the tourists.

There are two sides of Basel which are joined together through six bridges. Burgundy, German and Austrian Empires first ruled it and then in 1501 joined Swiss confederation. Let us discuss some of the best Basel Switzerland points of interest.  

1- The Music Museum

If you are a music lover, then this place is a must-visit for you. The Musical Museum is among the four museums which are regulated under Basel Historic Museums Organization, which opened in 2000 for the public.

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The museum is located on the Augustinian order monastery former complex. There are more than three thousand artifacts, and musical items are displayed here, which includes the European Music of the 15th century till the current day.

Furthermore, all its artifacts, items, history, and much more make it among the top museums of Basel Switzerland.

2- Basel Botanical Garden University

If you love plants and nature and thinking of what to do in Basel, then the Basel Botanical Garden University is waiting for you.

The Basel Botanical Garden University is among the oldest botanical gardens in the world, which were founded in 1589 by Caspar Bauhin.

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There are four different greenhouse indoor facilities which show orchids, succulents, and international plant life also which includes topical house garden facility. No doubt, all these things attract plant lovers.

There is also a very famous collection of cacti plants, which are shown along with a shade garden, Mediterranean-style garden, and extensive tree plantings.

Keeping in mind, that the downside here is that the garden does not have public visiting facilities. Still, there are several public restrooms which are located right adjacent to the facility with some open cafes and restaurants.

3- Vitra Design Museum

As told earlier that Basel, Switzerland lies on the international borders, so some suburbs spread into France and Germany.

But the Vitra Design Museum is considered as a part of Basel, but it is just about a five-minute train ride away from Germany.

It is among the leading museums for its incredible structure. This landmark was designed by Frank O. Gehry, a Canadian architect.

There are exhibitions held, two to three each year. Also, examining themes, designs, and historical artifacts are the most important and beautiful work done here.

Once you see it, you will fall in love with it, that’s why it is among the top things to see in Basel, Switzerland.

4- The famous Basel Paper Mill

When we talk about the best things to see in Basel, Switzerland, the famous paper mill is a must place to visit.

It is referred to as a historical place for printing, writing, a cultural museum that paper mill facility, which is older than 500 years.

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Furthermore, the site is spread over six floors, whose production workshop is dedicated to book printing, writing, and history of papermaking.

Here different types of workshops are offered to the visitors, teaching them the art of paper-related skills which are highly valued by the tourist and the visitors. As a result, this makes the Basel Paper mills one of the best Basel Switzerland points of interest.

5- The popular Basel Zoo (Best Basel Switzerland Points of Interest)

Now, if you love animals, then the Basel Zoo is a must to visit for you, counted among Switzerland’s best places.

It is highly valued as it is the oldest zoo in Switzerland and the largest collection of animals as compared to any other Zoological park in the whole country.

It first opened in 1874, since then it became famous from time to time and gained popularity among the tourists.

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The annual tourist count in the Basel zoo is more than 1.8 million. Even Forbes Traveler and the zoological Society rate it among the best zoos in the world.

Additionally, it has around seven thousand animals of 645 different species with a vast aquarium population. Besides that, the Basel Zoo is also a part of many zoological organizations like the World Association of Zoos and the European Association of zoos.

The list of Basel Switzerland Points of Interest would surely be incomplete without including the Basel Zoo.

Book Here the Famous Basel Tours

6- Merian Garten

The Merian Garten is another garden present in Basel, Switzerland. It is a public botanical garden and a historic park.

The garden serve visitors seven days a week and from dusk to dawn. It was first constructed in 1711.

The 18-hector Merian Garten has a variety of beautiful plant species. Also, it showcases vegetable garden plantings and cultivated flowers.

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Moreover, it includes English Style Garden, and it also features Europe’s most extensive iris plantings collection having more than 1500 varieties.

For entertainment, the visitors can visit the café and restaurant, which is present outside the villa house, providing delicious and fresh dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Apart from that, they also house the Mill Museum, which showcases the old but valuable 16th-century grain mill.

7- Toy Museum (Spielzeug Welten Museum)

Another Basel Switzerland Points of Interest is a toy museum that is quite different but of great value.

The toy museum is very famous in Basel, having a collection of more than six thousand toys, which include stuffed animals, dolls, shop models, and this is not just for small children.

The dollhouses which are showcased here are of great historical importance. There is a section that is devoted to Neapolitan folk art.

The museum also has a vast collection of 2500 teddy bears, which is considered one of the largest collections in the whole world.

This toy museum is loved by many people and, of course, especially by kids. Because you will find different types of toys here, which you might never even heard of.

So if you are thinking about what to do in Basel, I suggest that you visit and spend some of your time here as it will be worth it.    

8- Chocolatier Beschle Workshops

Swiss Beschle offers the Chocolatier Beschle Workshops since 2008, and now they are held every week. The famous chocolatier offers great and valuable workshops for both children and adults, which are held six days a week.

The workshop starts from Monday to Thursday in the afternoon hours. They are helping a lot of people through Creating your own chocolate bar workshops.

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They educate their participants by teaching them proper preparation, production, and tasting methods.

After learning these methods, as a result, the participants are easily able to create their delicious chocolate bars without any issue.

In the children chocolate bar workshops, the young ones can participate and learn to bake their chocolate bars and indulge in great learning activities.

Besides that, these workshops are offered in different languages, which are English, French, German, and Spanish. The classes last around two hours.

9- The Basel Minster

The Basel Minster is among the top landmarks of the city, which makes it among best Switzerland’s points of interest.

It was constructed between 1019 and 1500 as a part of the catholic cathedral. The current Romanesque-style dates to its 14th-century reconstruction.

The church was used as the primary Swiss Reformed Church Facility, which offers regular services, facilities to its tourists and held yearly events daily. Also, the infrastructure is super beautiful.

From inside, you can go to the top of the south tower through the stairs. This beautiful church has been offering its services to its visitors for decades. Hence, many people visit it to see its exquisite design and beauty.

10- The Museum of Culture

The Cultural Museum is counted in the national Swiss heritage site, which was first founded as Museum of Ethnography and Natural History in 1844 and now is a house of artifacts collected from travelers and merchants.

Today it contains a wide range of a vast collection of ancient’s artifacts and arts, among which are holdings from Bali, Tiber, and even from the South Pacific.

There are more than three thousand artifacts and different historical objects which are present in this museum, which makes it the greatest museum of its type in the whole of Europe.  

Where to Stay in Basel?

Now after considering all the things to do in Basel, Switzerland. You also have to think of where to stay in Basel.

There is an old town which is present between the Spalentor gate and the river which is small but has a lot of museums present here along with some churches and Marketplatz.

Now why i mention Old town here is because a variety of hotels are present very close to Old town. Let’s have a look at the hotels present in Basel.

Luxury Hotels:

If you don’t have a budget problem, then you can undoubtedly go for this option. The list of luxury hotels includes the Grand Hotel Les Rois on the top, which hosts high royalty to its customers.

Der Teufelhof Basel is also a great option if you are looking for an artistic choice as it has designed its room by artists.

So you will be living in a world of arts here. The Radisson Blue Hotel Basel is present in the center of museums.

Mid-Range Hotels:

Near the botanic gardens of Basel are present some mid-range hotels. The Hotel Spalentor Basel has spacious and great modern rooms.

The Steinenschanze Stadthotel is minutes of walk away from the restaurant area. There is also an ODELYA Hotel & Wildgarten, which will provide you with a delicious continental breakfast free of cost.

Budget Hotels:

If you want a hotel that is good and doesn’t go rough on your budget, then consider the following options. Hotel Rochat is a pretty good choice when it comes to budget.

It has a dull room but will offer you free breakfast. The Ibis Budget Basel City Hotel is also a pretty good option to consider.

Conclusion

We have discussed the Best Basel Switzerland Points of interest. There are different places you would surely want to visit.

Check out our list about Best Basel Switzerland Points of Interest and pack up your bags for a whole lot of fun trip, because when it comes to beauty, Basel is always on the top.

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