2026-05-08 Basel Switzerland

 

map from Logelheim to Basel

What to say about Basel? On first impression as we drove into the city, it's big, modern, busy, lots of bikes and trams and tram wires. Oh, and construction everywhere. (OK, only where we wanted to drive.) Our goal here is to visit the old parts of Basel. Despite rerouting us several times when GPS wanted us to go down a closed for construction street, or one-way going the wrong way, Dale was able to steer us to a parking garage just a couple blocks from the Tourist Bureau. 

This fountain had all kinds of sculptures shooting water at one another.

Tram traveling through the historical part of the city.

A couple things to know: In Basel, they speak German (Swiss-German). Self-guided walking tours don't exist, but they have maps of the old part of town with locations of monuments. There are lots of steep hills. (By the time we got back to the car in the afternoon, my battery was ready to quit.) There are lots of self-cleaning bathrooms. Do not go into a WC when the door opens. Let it close and do its water cleaning routine before entering or you will get wet. That said, Basel is really clean - no trash to be seen.

Armed with maps and finished with the WC, we first headed up to a hilltop church. Both Dave and Dale took turns pushing the scooter up hill so I could also visit the church. (Many thanks!) It was worth the effort. 

Dale found this map of the old city in 1615 hanging on a wall in the cathedral. It's way better than the map from the tourist office!  You can see the double  fortified walls surrounding the city and interesting monuments. (However, this map is actually upside down. The old town is on the south bank of the Rhine, not the north bank.)

view from the terrace of St. Leonhard's church

St. Leonhardskirche - the Collegiate church of St Leonhard

The 14th century church was built against city walls, closing the normal west entrance. A gated walk via the cemetery continues to serve as the entrance to the church. The first mention of a church on this hill was in 1002. An Augustinian convent was added in 1135 and a Romanesque crypt was added in 1280. The earthquake of 1356 demolished everything but the crypt, which still exists. A new church in late Gothic style was built almost immediately. Late Gothic construction (1480) added the interior space with three naves identical in height. 

the crypt

three naves of the same height in late Gothic style, something I had never seen before

The Gothic vaulting is light and airy 

As in most of Europe, the Basel church has experienced problems between various Protestant denominations and Catholics. But because Switzerland adopted Protestantism early in the 16th century, the church was spared the kinds of desecrations endured by other churches during the Reformation. Catholic paintings and iconography had already been moved and stored and the church was offering Protestant services.

Janis and Clark headed to the Munster and we decided to meet them there just after lunch. The rest of us followed Leonhardsgraben which followed the line of an older city wall that we guessed had a moat as well since "graben" translates to moat.  Along the way we found some interesting buildings.

The Spalentor (Spalen Tower) was the northwest entry to the walled city. It still sports its portcullis and gold-tiled roof, not to mention its formidable looking defensive turrets.

Spalentor

Notice the portcullis

We continued toward the river to the Markt Platz where the daily market takes place.  The Rathaus (City Hall) is also on this square. It's pretty impressive. It's red sandstone blocks contrast with the other buildings around the square.

The daily market in front of the Rathaus

The Rathaus is pretty ornate!

Inside the courtyard of the Rathaus

Courtyard of the Rathaus

From there we headed a bit north to the Middle Bridge (Mittlere Rheinbrucke) over the Rhine. We spotted a place for lunch across the river, so we crossed the bridge to the other bank.

looks like a good lunch spot

Mittlere Rheinbrucke

lunch by the Rhine River - Lynn, Dave, Kim

View across the river from our lunch location

After lunch, we headed back to the south side of the Rhine, past Markt Platz and down Freistrasse to get to the Minster where Janis and Clark were enjoying the shade and views over the Rhine on the terrace next to the church. After a WC break (self-washing toilets), we headed into the church.

Originally Roman Catholic, now Reformed Protestant, the Minster stands out for its tiled roof and red sandstone on the exterior. 

Basel Minster backs on to the wine

note the tiled roofs

the Minster cloister

The original cathedral built in the Romanesque style in the late 12th century was partially destroyed in the 1356 earthquake and rebuilt over the next couple of centuries.

View toward the altar

view toward the west entry and the organ

I was fascinated by the sarcophagi found along the sides of the cathedral. 

This one in particular struck my fancy. Buried in this sarcophagus is an Archdeacon, a church maintenance man, and others (und andere). Did they find unidentified bones somewhere in the church?

Cloisters were added in the 15th century and are beautiful and calm to walk through

view across the cloister

view out a cloister window

Kim at one of the cloister windows

We returned home a bit earlier today than usual which allowed time for sitting outside in the beautiful day , or as Clark would say, time to photograph the bottles drunk since arriving. 

Kim outside at our high-top bar table that says "Happy Feelings"

Our wine bottle collection - the total comes to 41. 

Tonight is our last dinner together (sniff) as both couples leave tomorrow by train from Strasburg.