7 Best Sights in Basel, Switzerland

Basel's cathedral evolved into its current form through a combination of the shifts of nature and the changing whims of architects. A 9th-century Carolingian church, it was consecrated as a cathedral by Henry II in 1019. Additions, alterations, and reconstructions in late Romanesque and early Gothic style continued through the 12th and 13th centuries. When Basel's devastating earthquake destroyed much of the building in 1356, subsequent reconstruction, which lasted about a century, adhered to the newly dominant Gothic style. The facade of the north transept, the Galluspforte (St. Gall's Door), is a surviving remnant of the original Romanesque structure. It's one of the oldest carved portals in German-speaking Europe—and one of the loveliest. Each of the evangelists is represented by his symbol: an angel for Matthew, an ox for Luke, a lion for Mark, and a bulbous-chested eagle for John. Above, around the window, a wheel of fortune flings little men off to their fates.

Inside on the left, following a series of tombs of medieval noblemen whose effigies recline with their feet resting on lions or their loyal dogs, stands the strikingly simple tomb of Erasmus. North of the choir, you can see the delicately rendered death portraits on the double tomb of Queen Anna of Habsburg and her young son, Charles, from around 1285. The vaulted crypt was part of the original structure and still bears fragments of murals from 1202. Both towers can be climbed, offering stunning, but dizzying, views over the city.

In a beautifully restored medieval mill with a still functioning waterwheel, this museum honoring paper, writing, and printing is wonderfully accessible. The museum is entirely hands-on, and visitors leave with paper they have made and wax seals they have pressed, as well as various writing and printing samples. In addition there is a wonderful permanent collection, from ancient scrolls to 20th-century newspaper-printing presses. Exhibits are in German, French, and English.

For decades, the world's most prestigious art collectors would journey to Basel to worship at the feet of one of modern art's greatest gallery owners, Ernst Beyeler, the founder of Art Basel, who died in 2010. At the end of his phenomenal career, he left his incomparable collection to the public and commissioned the noted architect Renzo Piano to build a museum in the town of Riehen, on the outskirts of Basel. The Fondation Beyeler presents an astonishingly well-rounded collection of modern art, and Piano's simple lines direct attention to more than 200 great works. The collection's catalog reads like a who's who of modern artists—Cézanne, Matisse, Lichtenstein, and Rauschenberg.

In this bright and open setting, Giacometti's wiry sculptures stretch toward the ceiling and Monet's water lilies seem to spill from the canvas into an outdoor reflecting pool. Indigenous carved figures from New Guinea and Nigeria stare into the faces on canvases by Klee and Dubuffet. A stellar selection of Picassos is juxtaposed with views of blue skies. Besides the permanent collection, several prestigious art exhibits every year attract art lovers from around the globe. To accommodate even more space for art, as well as for events, an extension designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor began construction in late 2021. The tram trip from Schifflände takes about 20 minutes.

In a city known for its museums, the Kunstmuseum is Basel's heirloom jewel. It was built in 1936 to house one of the world's oldest public art collections, owned by the city since 1661. The imposing facade of the main building, called the Hauptbau, gives way to an inner courtyard studded with statues. Inside is the world's largest assemblage of paintings by members of the Holbein family, an exceptional group of works by Konrad Witz, and, in fact, such a thorough gathering of the works of their contemporaries that the development of painting in the Upper Rhine is strikingly documented. Other Swiss artists are well represented, from Basel's own Arnold Böcklin to Gustav Klimt–like Ferdinand Hodler. A newer second building across the street, called the Neubau, houses both temporary exhibits and other items from the Kunstmuseum's permanent modernist collection (art from after 1950); it's accessible from the original museum by a tunnel. A third building, the Gegenwart, contains contemporary art and is about a five-minute walk away.

Flowers, fruits, and vegetables are sold most mornings from open stands in this central square. In fall and winter passersby purchase bags of hot roasted chestnuts, the savory scent of which wafts through the square.

As you circle the innovative and quirky installations at Museum Tinguely, you may have a few questions. How do they work? What do they mean? And where did the artist find this stuff? Born in Fribourg, 20th-century master Jean Tinguely is best known for his whimsical métamécaniques (mechanical sculptures), which transform machinery, appliances, and items straight from the junk heap into ironic and often macabre statements. For instance, Le Ballet des Pauvres, from 1961, suspends a hinged leg with a moth-eaten sock, a horse tail and a fox pelt, a cafeteria tray, and a blood-soaked nightgown, all of which dangle and dance on command. The wing of the museum projecting over the Rhine has a splendid river view of Basel. Many of the sculptures are activated at preset times, typically every 5 to 15 minutes, and it pays to wait and see them in action. Admission to temporary exhibitions is included in the entrance fee. Information sheets are available in English.

In the German town of Weil am Rhein, this renowned design museum's main building is a startling white geometric jumble designed by famed architect Frank Gehry that hosts large-scale temporary exhibits that put architecture, art, and everyday design on display. The neighboring Vitra Schaudepot, designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, displays more than 400 objects from the museum's permanent collection, as well as smaller temporary exhibitions. There's also the striking Vitra Slide Tower by German artist Carston Höller—a viewing point, art piece, and slide all in one. During guided tours, buildings by architectural masters, including the exquisitely angular Fire Station by Zaha Hadid and the curved symmetry of the Conference Pavilion by Tadao Ando, can be visited. To get here by car, take A5/E35 north from Basel toward Karlsruhe; turn right onto Route 532, then turn left after exiting at Weil am Rhein. The museum is 1½ km (about 1 mile) ahead on the right. From the Badischer Bahnhof train station in Basel, take Bus 55 toward Kandern to the Vitra stop (20 minutes); from Basel SBB rail station, Barfüsserplatz, Claraplatz, or Kleinhüningen, take Tram 8 to the Weil am Rhein stop, from which the museum is a 10-minute walk. Architecture tours are held in English Friday to Sunday at 2 pm.