1. Basel Munster: The 9th-century Basel Munster, towering over the city is probably its most famous attraction. The church’s scarlet-colored sandstone walls, huge arches, cobbled alleyways, and slanting tiled roofs, lend it an extremely majestic appearance.
It has a rustic ambience complete with stained glass windows, huge lobbies, fir wood ceilings, and numerous tombs. It houses the sarcophagus of Queen Ann and her son who lived here in the 12th-century and one can still see the ruins of a huge column that was said to have depicted the Last Judgement.
Two 62 metre high towers named after Georg and Martin, who were the saints of the knights, flank the church. Don’t miss taking a winding spiral staircase and visit The Pfalz- the terrace area to see wonderful views of the city and the Rhine.
Location: Munster Pl. 9, 4051 Basel.
Entry Fee/Price: The entry is free.
2. Basel Zoo: An ideal place to spend an afternoon seeing the exotic wildlife, Basel Zoo is one of the most popular attractions in the city. Built in 1874, it houses beautifully landscaped parks and habitat areas for hundreds of species of marine animals, birds, and reptiles. One can expect to see the Indian rhino, Snow leopards, sharks, penguins, African clawed frogs, harvester ants, and much more.
Location: Binningerstrasse 40, 4054 Basel.
Entry Fee/Price:
- Children (6-15 years): CHF 10, INR 728
- Young adults (16-24 years): CHF 15, INR 1092
- Adults (25-61): CHF 21, INR 1530
- Senior citizens (62 and above): CHF 19, INR 1383
Timings:
- January-February & November-December: 8:00 am to 5:30 pm
- March-April & September-October: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
- May-August: 8:00 am to 6:30 pm
3. Basel Paper Mill: Also referred to as the Swiss Paper Museum, this intriguing place is a museum as well as a paper production workshop. Established in a centuries-old paper mill, this is one of the few museums in the world dedicated to the art of papermaking, writing, and printing. There are not only interesting exhibits that show how the paper came into existence and how books are created, but also live workshops where one can try their hand on papermaking. Don’t miss to see the engraved tablets used for cutting paper dating back to 600 BC, a 15th-century printing office, and printing machines dating to the early 19th-century.
Location: St. Alban-Tal 37, 4052 Basel.
Entry Fee/Price:
- Adults: CHF 15, INR 1092
- Children (0-16 years): CHF 9, INR 655
Timings: Every day 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
4. Basel Town Hall: Also known as Rathaus, Basel City Hall is a place that will take you back to the time of the castles, knights, and queens. This vivid coloured building, in bright hues of rust orange, red, yellow, and brown, was built around 5 centuries ago on the occasion of Basel joining the Swiss Confederation.
This majestic structure, built in the neo-Gothic & Renaissance style of architecture, is adorned with intricate frescos, high ceilings and humongous arches. Don’t miss to see the paintings of Emperor Heinrich II and Justita (the Roman Goddess of Justice).
It is important to remember that while the general public is allowed into the hall, it is a still-functional government office where the Cantonal Parliament and Cantonal Government meet regularly.
Location: Marktplaats. 9, 4001 Basel.
Entry Fee/Price: There is no admission fee.
5. Natural History Museum: Entering into this museum is like finding one’s way into the faraway corners of the earth and seeing the stages of its evolution as if you were physically present at that time. Imagine going back to the Jurassic era and feeling yourself to be in the midst of dinosaurs, mammoths, sabre-tooth tigers, and Dodos.
The museum, the high-point of Basel tourism, educates about the extinct species, lost landscapes, and various geological phenomena through paintings, animations, books, and life-size animal figures.
Location: Augustinergasse 2, 4051 Basel.
Entry Fee/Price:
- Adults- CHF 7, INR 510
- Teenagers (under 20 years) - CHF 5 INR 364
Timings: Every day from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
6. Augusta Raurica: One of the most enthralling places in Basel City, this is the largest archaeological park in the country that takes one back to the ancient Roman times. It houses an ancient stadium-style amphitheatre dating back to 1800 years that can seat over 2000 people.
This is where the largest Roman festival takes place annually in the last week of August. You can also see the largest collection of preserved silver antiquities like bowls, plates, coins, etc. that were used by the Roman royalty.
Location: Giebenacherstrasse, 4302 Augst.
Entry fee/ Price:
- Adults- CHF 8, INR 582
- Children (6-17 years)- CHF 6 INR 437
Timings: Every day from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
7. Tinguely Fountain: Also known as Carnival Fountain, this fountain was created when the world-famous artist Tinguely placed 10 working machine sculptures in a pool of water. This was done to depict the actors, dancers, and mimes that used to perform in the theatre area where the fountain was laid.
These parts move, through jet water spews, as if talking to each other. These machine parts also have their own names like dr Waggler, dr Waadel, dr Suuser, etc. making it one of the most intriguing attractions in Basel City.
Location: Klostergasse 7, 4051 Basel.
Entry fee/ Price: There is no entry fee.
