Follow me to Basel, Switzerland!

In March Nick and I took to the Swiss cultural capital. While this is a very expensive country, we knew traveling to Switzerland would never be cheaper than while we are living in Sweden. So we booked a 5-day trip to try and soak it all in. We found cheap tickets (I’m talking $38 each round trip) through EasyJet to Basel, Switzerland from Copenhagen, Denmark. To also keep things cheap, we cooked breakfast each morning in our Airbnb and often packed a picnic lunch for the day.

Here is how I did Basel, Switzerland:

• Museums

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  With over 40 museums in Basel, it is the cultural center of Switzerland. We really enjoyed going to the Fondation Beyeler where we saw an exhibit on Picasso’s early works. This museum is stunning and perfect for a sunny day. From here, we did the 24-Stop Walk. The 24-Stop Walk follows the Rehberger Way and connects the Foundation Beyeler in the Swiss village Riehen to the Vitra Design Campus in Weil am Rhein in Germany. This walk is studded with nature and art. The 24 objects, created by the German artist Tobias Rehberger, guides you as you follow the path. Definitely a fun and unique experience! And although it is in Germany, we would recommend not missing the Vitra Campus if you are into mid-century design. The museum, designed by Frank Gehry, filled with the home furnishing designs of many, including Ray and Charles Eames. Be sure you have some Euro for the bus ride back into Switzerland.

• Food  While we cooked most of our meals, we had a delicious breakfast at La Manufacture. We were also recommended Tidbits (veggie friendly!) as another breakfast spot. For pastry and coffee, I cannot recommend Äss Bar (bear with me) enough. It is simple delicious, and the name translates to eatery. This is located across the street from the university botanical garden and Gate of Spalen.
• Free Stuff

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  The Botanischer Garten der Universität Basel (or Botanical Garden of the University of Basel) is small but mighty. It is open to the public and was a great place for a picnic lunch. I’d also recommend seeing the Canival Fountain at Tinguely Brunnen. We found a farmers’ market along Freie Street (the main shopping street) and the most gorgeous buildings in Old Town Basel. Basel Minster is also a cool old church with great views of the channel.

• Public Transportation I have to say, I’ve never seen a better or more developed public transportation system, even in Shanghai or Singapore. Incredibly efficient, timely, and clean, the Swiss know what they are doing (but would be expect any less from the country that invented the clock?). The country is filled with trains, trams, busses, and gondolas. They are easy to use and can be accessed across the country with one single app (SBB Mobile).

Needless to say, we loved Basel. But we also went to Grindelwald, Lucerne, and Interlaken, so stay tuned for more posts about our trip. Subscribe for email notifications on the right!

-TM

Is Basel on your list? Let us know below!