For one of my new jobs I’ll be passing through Basel regularly. Before my first trip I stayed a few days to get to know the city. Omg, I instantly liked it! Switzerland is expensive, so that’s the downside, but if it wasn’t, this would be such a nice, livable city! Basel was relaxed, unassuming. The sun was out and it was the weekend. People were sipping on drinks along the Rhine river, or even dipping their feet into the water. I saw a beautiful old town in Großbasel and a trendy Kleinbasel on the other side of the river. It wasn’t to crowded. It had lots to offer. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay.
The day I arrived the Kunstmuseum had a free entry hour at the end of the day. I’d been on a train for 8 hours, but I pushed myself to make it there. The Kunstmuseum is the oldest municipal art museum in the world. It all started when one collection was bought in the 17th century and grew into a fabulous museum. Since I had limited time, I picked the floor with more modern art. I admired works of Picasso, Dalí and van Gogh. It was the perfect way to get a little familiar with the place.
Open House Basel
That same weekend there was an open door festival around architecture. Buildings around the city opened their doors to the general public to show of different kinds of buildings, both historical and modern. Many of them are privately owned or used for companies or the municipality, so it gave a unique opportunity to peak inside and learn a bit more about the city. One of the buildings I visited was the Blue and White house. Once upon a town it was the residence of two brothers who were silk ribbon manufacturers. They had their workshop, factory and living quarters there. The houses have a gorgeous view over the Rhine. Inside I got a tour with a Spanish volunteer who read off his cards and told us about the building. The blue house has a fake chimney that was a secret observation tower. What they were observing? It’s hard to know for sure. Were they looking at arriving ships full of silk? Or were they spying on the town hall that was just a short distance away? One thing is for sure, the family had lots of power. An important dinner was held here, in which Tsar Alexander I, King Frederick William III of Prussia and Franz I of Austria dined together, just before the start of the congress of Vienna. It was the start of them planning the new Europe, after Napoleon was defeated.
As part of the same open house program I decided to go to a nearby development on top of a department store. I’d passed the building earlier and was intrigued by the combination of modern architecture and greenery. They opened a bit later and a crowd was already gathering on the square in front. But once they opened, it was pretty easy to get in, unless you wanted a tour with the architect. I decided to just have a look and climbed the stairs to the top floor. I supposed the new floors are going to be office spaces, as they had a big, open layout. It wasn’t decorated yet, but the terraces and walls were already full of flowers and plants. There were huge windows so that the future occupants of the building would look outside over the rooftops of the city and be surrounded by green at the same time. Although it was closed now, there were even some terraces where I can imagine you would enjoy a nice break in the sun at lunchtime. It was really cool to see. I descended down the modern staircase and exited through the department store.
Jean Tinguely
Jean Tinguely was an artist who grew up in Basel in the 20th century. He transformed trash into the most amazing machines and artworks. Convinced that everything that is static will be forgotten, he made sure his art moved. Because what moves will be remembered. Movement is change and change is necessary. Many of his machines are activated by the audience, mostly by pressing a button, but sometimes by throwing a basketball or some other creative way. Tinguely has left Basel with the spectacle of the Fasnachtsbrunnen, or carnival fountain. It stands on the spot of an old theater that was demolished in the 1970s. Out of protest Tinguely built this ever-moving fountain out of old props and theater materials. The moving sculptures are like actors or dancers that never stop performing.
To learn more about his machines I went to the Tinguely museum on the Kleinbasel side of town. It’s close to the iconic Roche towers, that stand out in the city skyline with their step-shape building. Honestly, however interesting, the museum frustrated me a bit as well. It didn’t help that my new phone was acting up and gave me major stress. But all the smaller installations have a button you need to press to activate it. However, after activation, it needs to charge for 10 minutes. So really, you need a lot of patience in this museum. In one room they had bigger installations that moved every so many minutes without activation button. You could climb through one of them. Another one played a strange musical symphony. Lastly I went upstairs to the “dance of the dead”. Based on a famous 15th century mural, Tinguely put a whole row of machines in a dark space. They all activated at the same time and did their macabre dance. Skulls were going round on a rail, squeaking in the process, other things were turning, and all of it cast shadows on the walls. It was an interesting interpretation!
The riverside
On the Kleinbasel side it’s also very nice to walk along the water, especially since I was there when the sun was out and it was about 30 degrees. You can take a little ferry or cross the bridge. There’s a long footpath along the Rhine that can take you all the way to the 3 countries corner. To be fair, at some point it’s less pretty as you enter a more industrial area, but overall I found it very pleasant. To start with, I got a great view of Großbasel and walked along a very pleasant path, lined with trees and the occasional Buvette, a little stall where you can get some drinks and/or food. The benches were filled with people enjoying the shade and at times someone was testing the cold river water. Further on I passed an old crane that’s been turned into a café and then I saw the Holzpark Klybeck, where they had a little market. It’s a terrain built of a collection of creative shacks and an old boat, with a bit of a beach vibe. At the very end of my walk I found a true beach bar at the 3 countries corner. To the left of me, across the water, was France. To the right and ahead was Germany. There was nothing special. You couldn’t step foot in them. There was a strange flag pole that looks like an aircraft, but I was surprised to see the bar and there was a good atmosphere.
Großbasel
I went on a free walking tour to explore some more of the historic Großbasel. Beyond the very center I found more really nice squares and more unique shopping streets. The prices are not that favorable in Basel, so I skipped the shopping, but it was nice to see yet another side of town. In the university neighborhood, near Petersplatz and the Spalentor, I found the most magical botanical garden. It’s not very big, but its layout is fantastic and they’ve created cute little corners where you can relax or have a picnic. There is are some greenhouses with different themes and one holds massive water lilies. Another one is like a jungle. But it wasn’t just the plants. I really loved the houses around the botanical garden. They had a unique style.
Basel really has a lot to see and it looks different from other cities. The town hall was one of the interesting surprises. It’s bright red with lots of decorations and paintings. There are some courtyards with more art and an old fountain. In general its great to see so many fountains in the city. They offer free drinking water, but are also a place where the locals bathe! Even in winter they occasionally heat up the fountain water to take a hot bath. And then there was the minster. This big red church stands on the highest point of the city. I really wanted to climb to the top of the tower, but for safety reasons you had to go in pairs. A Swiss couple that arrived agreed to take me with them. The man kept talking to me with a heavy accent, even after I told him my Swiss German was pretty poor. But we made it up one of the towers. The staircase was sketchy. It was a tiny space and at times it was pitch black! You couldn’t see a thing until you opened the door. On top you could squeeze yourself through tiny spaces, hugging the people going the other way. But the view was magnificent. You look out towards the Vosges mountains and the Black Forest, but you also get to see the rooftops of Basel.
It was really great to see Basel. I’d never thought of going there and it was only because of work that I made it. I found out it has many different sides and sights. The area where my hostel was, was residential and vastly different from the riverside for instance. On Saturdays people were selling old toys and books and when I returned, some leftover could be picked up for free. Near the train station was a big food market hall, with stalls from different cuisines. I ate Argentinian empanadas. It’s a shame it’s a bit expensive. Otherwise I’d love to spend more time there.
