Explore Switzerland’s cultural capital and indulge on prestigious art fair without spending a euro. Also, who wouldn’t want to be present in three countries at the same time for free? Read on to know the free stuff that you can in Basel!
1. See the city by taking a walking tour
Basel’s Old Town is filled with beautiful architecture with amazing riverfront promenades, so don’t forget to snap all you can and get that perfect Instagram photo. Start off at Marktplatz under the impressive red-painted Rathaus (Basel Town Hall), and then walk further to soak up some beautiful edifices like Münster cathedral, the medieval Spalentor tower, the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois (one of Europe’s oldest hotels) and the Jean Tinguely fountain in Theaterplatz. Finish your tour by relaxing in the cool banks of the Rhine River.
2. Visit museums and art galleries as many as you can
Being the cultural capital and one of the oldest towns in Switzerland, Basel boasts 40 magnificent museums and art galleries, and the best part of all is that almost all of them waive admission fees! The best ones like the Kunstmuseum, the Natural History Museum, the Basel Historical Museum and the Museum of Cultures offers free entry on the first Sunday of each month. If that’s not enough, you can visit the Museum of Contemporary Art (Museum für Gegenwartskunst) that is now waiving entrance fees all year round.
3. Relax in the city’s green spaces
Although filled with beautifully designed buildings, Basel still has lush parks perfect for a picnic or for indulging a great book. Visit all or choose from the Solitude Pak right on the banks of the Rhine, the cool and breezy Schützenmattpark, or the biggest park in the city, Kannenfeldpark. Other free ones are the botanical gardens of Merian Park and Basel University, and if you want to have some thrill and interaction with some animals like donkeys, ponies, red and fallow deer, or even wild boar, then go to the Lange Erlen Animal Park.
4. Indulge on free entertainment
Switzerland’s biggest carnival can be found in Basel. Yup, that’s right, it’s the famous Fasnacht! Enjoy a week of free entertainment held in the run-up to Easter, complete with a huge parade of moe than 20,000 masked participants and magnificent floats. Basel is also where Europe’s liveliest Christmas market is.
5. Visit three countries at the same time
You don’t need expensive plane tickets and a leave to visit three countries together; in fact, you can visit all at the same time! Just go to Basel’s Three Countries Corner (Dreiländereck), border point of Switzerland, Paris and Germany. Isn’t that awesome?
