Must-see attractions in Basel

  • Augusta Raurica, a Roman archaeological site and an open-air museum in Switzerland.

    Augusta Raurica

    Basel

    About 17km east of Basel, on the Rhine's south bank, Switzerland’s largest Roman ruins are the last remnants of a colony founded in 43 BC, the population…

  • Beyerler Foundation Basel

    Fondation Beyeler

    Basel

    This astounding private-turned-public collection, assembled by former art dealers Hildy and Ernst Beyeler, is housed in a long, low, light-filled, open…

  • Kunstmuseum Basel in Basel, Switzerland.

    Kunstmuseum Basel

    Basel

    Housing the most comprehensive collection of public art in Switzerland, this superb fine arts museum reopened in mid-2016 after updates to the existing…

  • Vitra Campus

    Basel

    Showcasing the works of the adjoining, eponymous high-end furniture manufacturer, Vitra Campus comprises the dazzling Vitra Design Museum (of Guggenheim…

  • Museum Jean Tinguely

    Basel

    Designed by leading Ticino architect Mario Botta, this museum showcases the playful, mischievous and downright wacky artistic concoctions of sculptor…

  • Spielzeug Welten Museum Basel

    Basel

    Adults and kids alike love this fascinating and lovingly curated fantasy land claiming the world’s biggest collection of teddy bears and a slew of…

  • Marktplatz

    Basel

    Begin exploring Basel's delightful medieval Old Town in the Marktplatz, dominated by the astonishingly vivid red facade of the 16th-century Rathaus. From…

  • Museum für Geschichte

    Basel

    This flagship of three museums operating under the banner of 'Historisches Museum Basel' (Basel Historical Museum), which opened in 1894, is well worth a…

  • Lällekönig

    Basel

    You'll find this replica of the 15th-century animated bust of the Lällekönig (Tongue King) on the Grossbasel side of the Mittlere Brücke, sticking his…

  • Feldschlösschen Brewery

    Basel

    In Rheinfelden you'll find the Feldschlösschen brewery, 18km east of Basel and housed in a 19th-century building with a name that means ‘little castle in…

  • Münster

    Basel

    Blending Gothic exteriors with Romanesque interiors, this 13th-century cathedral was largely rebuilt after an earthquake in 1356. Renaissance humanist…

  • Elsässertor

    Basel

    Designed by world-renowned Basel architects Herzog & de Meuron, this angular glass commercial building (its name means 'Alsace Gate') was completed in…

  • Naturhistorisches Museum

    Basel

    With almost eight million objects and artefacts relating to zoology, anthropology and archaeology in its holdings, the mission of the Natural History…

  • Rathaus

    Basel

    One of Basel's most entrancing landmarks, the 16th-century Rathaus takes pride of place on Marktplatz. Its ornate red sandstone facade is smothered in…

  • Zentralstellwerk

    Basel

    You have to love the Swiss for enlisting some of the world's best-known architects, albeit homegrown ones (Herzog & de Meuron), to design something as…

  • Schaulager

    Basel

    Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, this sharply contoured, modernist art bunker displays huge video screens on the front facade, giving you a foretaste of…

  • Museum für Wohnkultur

    Basel

    Housed in the beautiful Haus zum Kirschgarten building (1780), this lovely museum features two floors of the house with rooms laid out immaculately in the…

  • Kunstmuseum Basel | Gegenwart

    Basel

    Down by the riverfront, this extension of Basel's Kunstmuseum has a focus on visiting exhibitions of contemporary art (1990s and later) and a small…

  • Römermuseum

    Basel

    At the entrance to the Augusta Raurica site, about 17km east of Basel on the south bank of the Rhine, the Römermuseum features an authentic Roman house…

  • Mittlere Brücke

    Basel

    It's hard to believe that this bridge, the symbol of Basel, has been spanning the rushing Rhine, connecting lofty Grossbasel with lowly Kleinbasel, since…

  • Museum für Musik

    Basel

    This museum, featuring the nation's largest collection of musical instruments – a veritable orchestra – focuses on a period spanning five centuries and…

  • Barfüsserplatz

    Basel

    This bustling square is named after the barefoot Franciscan friars who founded the eponymous Barfüsserkirche (Barefooted Ones Church) here in the 14th…

  • Antikenmuseum Basel

    Basel

    This multilevel museum contains Switzerland’s most comprehensive collection of ancient artefacts, dating from the heyday of the pharaohs in Egypt to Roman…

  • Tinguely Brunnen

    Basel

    With its riot of wacky machines spewing and shooting forth water, this zany fountain offers a taste of the madcap moving sculptures to be found in the…