Nestled on the Swiss border with both France and Germany, this small city has a lot to offer. It has been built up over many generations, with a medieval old town which is built around the Marktplatz which features a stunning 16th-century, red-sandstone Town Hall. Its 12th-century Gothic cathedral has city views and contains the tomb of the 16th-century Dutch scholar, Erasmus.
The architecture in the city is simply beautiful, which means if nothing else, you will walk around a stunning city.
As a home for many pharmaceutical companies, Basel* has traditionally attracted far more business travellers than tourists. In 2025 Basel had it’s moment. It hosted the Eurovision Song Contest and the final of the Women’s Euro 2025. I had my second work trip to Basel in 2024. As ever, a hard few days but a perfect opportunity to piece together a little of the city and build on my previous experience.
Basel is also a great jumping-off point for a trip around Switzerland – check out this 10-day Switzerland itinerary.
1. The language they speak in Basel
Whilst Basel is in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, its proximity to the French border (the airport has a Swiss and French exit) means many residents also speak a smattering of French. What this does mean is that the staff at many museums do not speak English so do brush up on your German before you travel!
Many locals will really appreciate it if you can muster a little German, even if its just enough to order some chocolate or its from Duolingo.
2. Basel is very expensive
As the home to many pharmaceutical giants, Basel is highly affluent. It is as expensive as you would expect from Switzerland, however with the current high cost of living in the UK it didn’t seem like as much of a shock as when I’ve previously been to Switzerland. What this does mean is like many more expensive cities, it is clean, safe, and often teeming with business travellers.
3. Basel is small, but not small enough to walk around without planning
Basel is not cheap, as discussed. So it’s easy to think that booking a hotel further from your destination might save some money. However Basel is a bit bigger than you might think, so its vital to map where to stay against what you’re planning to do. If you don’t do this you could spend a fortune on taxis without meaning to.
4. The Plugs in Basel are not like the rest of Europe
Learn from me… the plugs in Switzerland aren’t like those in the EU (as I had naively assumed due to geography), so you need a different adapter. The Swiss plug has three small pins, but it’s much smaller than the EU one.
Many hotels will have one plug point in each room that takes an EU adapter, but no more. Also hotels don’t necessarily have USB-a (the ones which are in most adapters) charging points, they’re all USB-C. Which would have been great for my Mac if I’d bought it. Rubbish for all other devices.
Thankfully, hotels are prepared for under-researched visitors and have a host of adapters which they will hire out to guests. If you want to be prepared, then this Swiss adapter is worth a look.*
5. Hold onto that Basel Card
The first time I visited I didn’t understand just how helpful the BaselCard is. They’re provided when you check into a hotel and they’re a bit of a lifeline. The museums in Basel will quote you the BaselCard price as standard and it gives you free access to WiFi spots in the city centre. It also gives you free transport around the city and importantly to the airport. Given a taxi from the city centre to the airport will set you back about 45 CHF (50 Euros) it’s worth the extra 5 mins on the bus!
6. Basel is becoming a bit of a foodie hub
One thing I did not expect on my last visit to Basel (especially compared with pre-pandemic) was how much good the food selection was. In just three days, I found three exceptional places to eat.
Spark – Portuguese Tapas
Spark is home to some exceptional Portuguese Tapas – flavoursome meat, Octopus, Cod and of course exceptional custard tarts and a cold glass of rose wine.
The MarktHalle Basel
The Markthalle is the hipster part of Basel. It has home to an array of small street stalls and craft beers. The jewel in the crown however has to be the Octopus burger available from Fish & More. This has to have been one of the most magnificent things I have ever eaten. I have it on good authority the Vietnamese noodles and South African mixed grill are also wonderful.
Traditional Swiss Food
Gifthuttli is a speciality Swiss restaurant and beer hall located in the middle of the Altstadt. The decor is very stereotypical and wonderfully kitsch. It also serves an array of Swiss Rosti. This is essentially a giant potato cake, covered in cheese and with toppings. I had florentina (the spinach counted as one of my 5-a-day). It was hefty but excellent.
Basel is also home to the best McDonalds (possibly in the world, no joke) – the ancient market place has possibly the best and most expensive McDonald’s I’ve ever eaten.
7. Basel has three old ‘tors’ which make a great walk route
Find the 3 Tors: one of the unique things about Basel is that it has three city gates: St Albans, St Johannes and Spalentor. St Johannes and Spalentor are not far from each other. Due to how the city has developed they aren’t all immediately obvious, but wandering between them can help you see some of the best of what Basel has to offer.
8. The museums are great, but most are tiny
Basel’s largest museum is the fine art museum which I am sure is lovely. I haven’t however been, but I have spent considerable time walking around the smaller and quirkier museums of which there are many. And they are a steal (especially with the Basel Card!). What this does mean is you cannot lose your self for a day in one. More like, you could likely visit all of them in one day. Or at least a fair chunk of them.
The Cartoon Museum for example is a bit like a really big shop. It’s full of unusual or unknown drawings and is a good way to spend about 30 minutes.
One of the best museums I have been to is the Natural History Museum. This has a classic combination of bones, taxidermy and butterflies in glass boxes. We were lucky enough to go to this on my first visit to Basel which fell on the first Sunday of the month, so it was free, but it would have been worth the 7 CHF.
My favorite museum however was the Pharmaceutical Museum which charts the history of the biggest industry in the city. This was much smaller than the Natural History Museum, but there was just something about it which really captivated me.
9. Most of the churches are not open to visit
One of the biggest surprises for me was that the majority of churches were locked. I managed to sneak into one at 8pm in the old city square as a concert was kicking out. Probably not how you’re meant to do it, but the walls were so beautifully painted it was worth it!
10. The Rhine is good for swimming (apparently)
It’s never been warm enough to swim in the Rhine when I have been to Basel, however, all my colleagues in Basel tell me it’s great for swimming in the summer.
11. It’s a rubbish airport
Basel has to have one of the dullest airports I’ve been to. It’s worth cutting it a bit fine as you won’t find much to do… and if you’re thinking what about Duty-Free? Well it’s cheaper than the High Street in Basel for sure however…
Given how much more expensive Switzerland is than most countries, unless you are from somewhere more expensive, you will not save money in duty-free.
*I only recommend experiences I have enjoyed myself. If you use this link I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.
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