Beautiful Basel
A visit to Switzerland would not be complete without a trip to Basel at the center of the ‘three-countries region.’ By Gail Joiner
Staff Writer
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Basel Tourismus
Located close to the borders of Germany and France, Basel in north-west Switzerland makes the perfect base camp to explore the Alps nearby.
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BASEL, Switzerland — At the center of the “three-countries region” where Switzerland, France and Germany meet, Basel thrives on its tri-national location. Europe feels at its most snug and cozy here as Basel residents travel by tram to dine in French restaurants in Alsace (tram no. 10) or wander in Germany’s hilly Black Forest (tram no. 6), all visible from the wall surrounding Basel’s Romanesque cathedral. These journeys take minutes. Basel’s charming medieval Old Town, with its narrow and steep cobblestone streets, is one of the best-preserved in Europe. With its red sandstone walls, multicolored roof tiles and twin towers, the Cathedral is a dominant feature of the city. Many tourists pay pilgrimage to the tomb of Erasmus of Rotterdam located in its crypt. Like most cities with centuries-long histories, Basel has a mythical protector. Called the basilisk, this winged, dragon-like creature, can be seen in dozens of incarnations in ornaments adorning the city’s fountains, roofs, gates and mansions. The city’s past fuses beautifully with modern art in one of Jonathan Borofsky’s Hammering Man sculptures. Basel’s carnival, Fassnacht, rivals those of Venice and Rio de Janeiro. A castle overlooking the Schifflande quay is now Basel’s unrivaled lodging option. The hotel where Napoleon and Goethe once stayed has a fittingly aristocratic title — Les Trois Rois. Art and Soul Basel is synonymous with art and the city is home to more than forty museums and galleries. Every year in June, the city plays host to ArtBasel, one of the world’s most respected art fairs. The elegant, spacious Foundation Beyeler, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, makes home for a tremendous collection of art. Founded by the prominent Swiss art connoisseur, Ernst Beyeler, it comprises more than 200 works by some of the finest 20th century artists, of the likes of Pablo Picasso, Auguste Rodin, Henry Rousseau, Jackson Pollock, Max Ernst and Francis Bacon. A special feature is a permanent display of work by Mark Rothko. A visit to the museum devoted to the late sculptor Jean Tinguely is an absolute must. Tinguely’s engaging sculptural machines are shown alongside works by his wife, Niki de Saint Phalle, who was also one of Switzerland’s most admired artists. The striking contrast between the artistic styles of Tinguely and Saint Phalle serves as perfect illustration of the expression “opposites attract.” Tinguely’s “kinetic art” — rusty, scrappy and squeaky machines — seem antagonistic to the bubbly, rotund shapes of Saint Phalle’s brightly colored creatures, painted with sparse use of red, yellow and blue. Alpine Trip Basel is also an excellent base for a day trip to Interlaken, a marvellous scenic valley town in the Bernese Oberland, located between two lakes, the Thun and the Brienz, at the heart of the Alps. A renowned Alpine mecca, Interlaken has one of the most sumptuous spa-hotels in Europe, the Victoria-Jungfrau. The town makes a perfect take-off point for Alpine hikes to two of Switzerland’s most famous peaks, Jungfrau (4,158 meters) and Schilthorn. The latter is famous for having served as location for the James Bond flick “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” The 360-degree panorama that can be observed from the revolving restaurant Piz Gloria is breathtaking if the weather is fine. Both the Brienz and the Thun are warm enough to swim in the summer but the Thun is generally warmer. Insiders advise to head to Burgseeli, a gorgeous nature reserve in Ringgenberg-Goldswil in the vicinity of Interlaken, where water temperatures may reach plus 27 Celsius, and there are birds and water-lillies for swimming companions. — With thanks to Switzerland Tourism TRAVELLER’S TIPS
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Basel Tourismus
Old Town.
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HOW TO GET THERE: There are no direct flights to Switzerland from St. Petersburg. Swiss International Airlines (www.swiss.com) flies daily from Moscow to Geneva and twice daily from Moscow to Zurich. Lufthansa offers a convenient connection to Zurich via Munich. Within Switzerland, the public transport system is legendarily efficient, and provides an amazingly easy way to get around the country. For train travel within the country, you can save up to 70 percent with a Swiss Pass, which provides unlimited rail transport for 4, 8, 15 or 22 days, or 1 month. The passes are valid on all of Switzerland’s fabled scenic routes, and are also good for the public transport systems of 35 Swiss cities. Swiss Pass holders also receive many discounts on mountain excursions and other services. Another option is the Swiss Flexi Pass, which is ideal for anyone not planning to travel every day. It is valid for a certain number of days within one month, which do not have to be consecutive. On travel days, Swiss Flexi Pass holders enjoy the same advantages as Swiss Pass holders. Trains between Switzerland’s main towns depart every 30 minutes. All the schedules and other information are on the web site www.rail.ch WHERE TO STAY: Les Trois Rois. Blumenrain 8, 4001 Basel. Tel. +41 61 260 50 50. www.lestroisrois.com Grand Hotel Victoria-Jungfrau. Hoheweg 41, Interlaken CH-3800. Tel. +41 33 828 28 28. www.victoria-jungfrau.ch USEFUL LINKS www.MySwitzerland.ru www.basel.com www.baselmuseums.ch www.tourismtrirhena.com www.tinguely.ch www.beyeler.com www.interlaken.ch www.schilthorn.ch
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