Basel Travel Guide

Tourist Guide

Basel featuring a river or creek and a city
Basel which includes modern architecture
Basel showing street scenes
Basel which includes modern architecture
Basel

Explore the historic centre and museums of this quaint Swiss town. It borders France and Germany and fuses all three cultures.

Basel is a historic Swiss city that lies on the country’s borders with France and Germany. It is home to many museums, galleries and a charming centre filled with antique structures. The River Rhine divides the city into two parts. Grossbasel, which contains the historic centre, is southwest. Kleinbasel has an active nightlife.

Visit the Basel Art Museum (Kunstmuseum Basel) which contains the largest assortment of artwork by the Holbein family, the German gothic and renaissance artists from the 15th and 16th centuries. International works date back many centuries. See paintings by Van Gogh and Cézanne in the 19th-century exhibits. Browse works by cubist and impressionist artists, such as Picasso and Braque.

Learn about five centuries of the history of melody and composition at the Music Museum, where you’ll find more than 650 musical instruments from the last 500 years. Find out about antique parades, dances and festivals and hear the intriguing sounds of Old World music. The remarkable museum is located in the cells of a former prison. See an old cell that has been left as it was when the prison was active.

Attend one of Switzerland’s biggest carnivals, Basler Fasnacht, which takes place on the Monday after Ash Wednesday and lasts for three days every year. Watch parades, singers and many acts and events.

The city is in the centre of the Dreiländereck (Three Countries’ Corner) region in northwest Switzerland. Although the official language is German, many locals speak a dialect called Baseldytsch. You will find a lot of people who speak English and French as well.

Basel has warm summers and cold winters with a postcard-pretty skyline when its quaint landmarks are covered in snow. Basel is around 50 miles (80.5 kilometres) west of Zurich, Switzerlands largest city, and about a 60 miles drive to the north of Berne.

Radisson Blu Hotel, Basel

Radisson Blu Hotel, Basel

4 out of 5
Steinentorstrasse 25, Basel, BS
Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay
The price is ฿6,007 per night from 31 Aug to 1 Sept
฿6,007
฿6,573 total
31 Aug - 1 Sept
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 4-star spa hotel in Basel. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, a full-service spa and breakfast (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff in their reviews. ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (496 reviews)
Great hotel
"I have stayed at this in hotel many times but this time I was upgraded which was nice especially when your here in business and you want a little more room to relax, I would recommend Raddison Blu for future visits."

Reviewed on 12 Aug 2025

Radisson Blu Hotel, Basel
Hotel Schweizerhof Basel

Hotel Schweizerhof Basel

3.5 out of 5
Centralbahnplatz 1, Basel, BS
The price is ฿5,960 per night from 14 Sept to 15 Sept
฿5,960
฿6,524 total
14 Sept - 15 Sept
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 3.5-star business-friendly hotel in Basel. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, breakfast (surcharge) and 24-hour room service. Our guests praise the helpful staff ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (1,002 reviews)
"Great facilities. Good breakfast. Handy to train station. Excellent."

Reviewed on 15 Aug 2025

Hotel Schweizerhof Basel
Hotel Märthof Basel

Hotel Märthof Basel

4 out of 5
Marktgasse 19, Basel, BS
The price is ฿10,685 per night from 22 Aug to 23 Aug
฿10,685
฿11,430 total
22 Aug - 23 Aug
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 4-star spa hotel in Basel. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, a full-service spa and a rooftop terrace. Our guests praise the bar and the helpful staff in their ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (667 reviews)
"Well presented hotel with charm and a beer enjoyable rooftop bar over looking the Marktplatz. Staff were super helpful and friendly. Excellent tram connections just outside the hotel."

Reviewed on 16 Aug 2025

Hotel Märthof Basel
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
City Pop 2Night Basel - Self check-in

City Pop 2Night Basel - Self check-in

4 out of 5
Badenstrasse 1, Basel, BS
Stay at this 4-star aparthotel in Basel. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, breakfast (surcharge) and a 24-hour fitness centre. Our guests praise the property condition in their ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (698 reviews)
Great
"Great hotel, top marks for amenities however a little out of the way from everything"

Reviewed on 1 Aug 2025

City Pop 2Night Basel - Self check-in
Aparthotel Adagio Basel City

Aparthotel Adagio Basel City

4.5 out of 5
Hammerstrasse 46, Basel, BS
Stay at this 4.5-star luxury aparthotel in Basel. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, breakfast (surcharge) and a free local area shuttle. Our guests praise the helpful staff ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (687 reviews)
"WE haven't tried food options during the stay. Nice commodity in the bedroom"

Reviewed on 14 Aug 2025

Aparthotel Adagio Basel City
limehome Basel Münzgasse

limehome Basel Münzgasse

2 out of 5
12 Münzgasse, Basel, BS
Stay at this aparthotel in Basel. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, laundry facilities and cable TV channels. Popular attractions Theater Fauteuil and Pharmacy Museum Basel ...
8/10 Very Good! (48 reviews)
"Very close to the shopping stores, historical buildings, very clean and close to rhe water"

Reviewed on 14 Aug 2025

limehome Basel Münzgasse
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Cities near Basel