A journey back in history. Five walking tours through Basel.
The five walks. Tour: Erasmus Signs: red Walking time: approx. 30 minutes Suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs
Tour: Jacob Burckhardt Signs: blue Walking time: approx. 45 minutes Suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs
Tour: Thomas Platter Signs: yellow Walking time: approx. 45 minutes Suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs
Tour: Paracelsus Signs: grey Walking time: approx. 60 minutes Lots of steps and steep sections
Tour: Hans Holbein Signs: green Walking time: approx. 90 minutes Suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs
Discover Basel by yourself. You don’t have to search far for sights in Basel – they’re at every turn. Walk through the historic Old Town and marvel at buildings from every age. Discover countless works of art in public spaces and modern world-class architecture, or simply take a stroll along the sunny banks of the Rhine and enjoy a panoramic view of the picturesque half-timbered and baroque patrician houses.The city of culture at the bend of the Rhine has something for every taste. The short routes through the inner city are one particular advantage of Basel. The best way to explore these is by taking one of our five walking tours, which have all been named after significant people in Basel’s history. Each tour shows you the city and offers a different perspective of its development. The routes guide you by the large museums and the prettiest spots. Be your own city guide and enjoy amazing views from Basel’s hills and interesting insights into the city’s history. All walking tours start and end at the Marktplatz (on the corner with Sattelgasse), and the principle is simple: choose one of the five routes and follow the information boards and signs in the city. Each route has its own colour and is marked with the head of the person after whom the route is named.
Erasmus tour. The historic heart of the city. This short walk takes you via the Rheinsprung to the Basel Cathedral hill, which was home to many important events in Basel’s history. People have lived in this area for 2100 years because of the strategically favourable location and the excellent view across the Rhine. Celts and Romans built settlements here. In 1439, Pope Felix V was elected during the Council of Basel on the Cathedral hill. The prince bishop also lived here until the Reformation in 1529. Today, this area is an attractive residential zone and
Erasmus tour
also an administrative and museum district. The Münsterplatz has an idyllic atmosphere that transforms into a scene of lively festivities during Basel’s numerous events. From the courtyard “Pfalz” behind the Cathedral you can enjoy breathtaking views of the city, the Rhine, and the hills of the Black Forest and the Vosges. Explore the Cathedral and its well-preserved Romanesque elements and cloister, in which you will find the final resting places of many famous families from Basel. Erasmus von Rotterdam and a number of other well-known personalities are buried here. The route back to the lively Marktplatz leads you down the Freie Strasse, the city’s best-known shopping street.
Erasmus von Rotterdam (around 1466–1536), a prominent hu manist. Lived and worked in Basel from 1514 to 1516, 1521 to 1529 and from 1535. Signs: red Walking time: approx. 30 minutes Suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs
Jacob Burckhardt tour. The past and present in harmony. This tour begins by the Marktplatz and takes you along Freie Strasse. After passing by the chancel of the Barfüsserkirche, you will arrive at Theaterplatz. This is characterized by the contrast between the modern theatre building and the neo-Gothic Elisabethenkirche – something that culture enthusiast Jacob Burckhardt would surely have loved. The whole of Basel seems to meet at the Tinguely fountain, with its playful aquatic elements. And next door, the Kunsthalle’s garden restaurant invites guests to come and relax under its canopy of chestnut trees. The Barfüsserplatz is a hub of city life and the church there houses the Museum für Geschichte. The square in front of the medieval church is a popular venue for open-air events and markets in Basel. From the hustle and bustle of “Barfi”, as it’s known by the locals, the route leads you through the well-kept medieval alleys of Heuberg and Spalenberg, which host small shops and exclusive boutiques. The city tour ends back on the colourful Marktplatz.
Jacob Burckhardt tour
Jacob Burckhardt (1818–1897). Professor in Basel, cultural his torian and art scholar. Signs: blue Walking time: approx. 45 minutes Suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs
Thomas Platter tour. Crafts and university. This walk begins with a tour of the picturesque alleys in a former business district. Some of the street names, such as Schneidergasse (tailor’s alley), hint at the businesses that used to trade here. The craftsmen would have once used water from the Birsig river, which now flows beneath the Marktplatz. You now begin a walk uphill along the left-hand side of the Spalenberg. Once you reach the top, leave the historic Old Town behind and cross the Petersgraben, the former city moat. Take the Spalenvorstadt until you reach the Spalentor, one of Switzerland’s most beautiful city gates which dates back to the 14th century. Walk along the former outer moat to the oldest university in Switzerland (founded in 1460), for which Thomas Platter, rector of the Latin school “Schule uff Burg” on the Cathedral hill, prepared many students. Next to the university is the Petersplatz. A flea market featuring a diverse range of goods takes place here every Saturday. Pass by the Gothic Peterskirche and walk back down to the busy Marktplatz. During the week here you will find a wide range of fresh food from Basel and the region.
Thomas Platter tour
Thomas Platter (1499–1582). Humanist scholar. Signs: yellow Walking time: approx. 45 minutes Suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs
Paracelsus tour. Medieval alleys. This tour is dedicated entirely to the two sides of the river Birsig valley that runs through the city. Walk along the Elftausendjungfern-Gässlein towards the Martinskirchplatz. Ceremonial state occasions often take place in the Martinskirche. The impressive façades of the large town houses bear witness to the wealth of the old city of Basel. This area is now home to some of the public administration offices. The route then leads along narrow alleys and steps back to the valley. You wouldn’t know it, but in the Falknerstrasse you cross the Birsig river, which has run underground between Heuwaage and Schifflände to the Rhine for over a hundred years. Now it’s time to explore the other side of the valley. Follow the old craftsmen’s alleys until you reach the Leonhardskirche and the Lohnhof. Once home to the city’s construction and salary office, and later a prison, the Lohnhof now houses apartments, the Museum für Musik, and a small hotel with a restaurant. Now take the medieval alleys back to the historic Marktplatz. The last set of steps leads past the PharmazieHistorisches Museum Basel, which still houses tools used during Paracelsus’ time.
Paracelsus tour
Paracelsus (actual name Theophrastus von Hohenheim; 1493–1541). Basel city doctor from 1527 to 1528, prominent tutor of natural remedies and therapist. Signs: grey Walking time: approx. 60 minutes Lots of steps and steep sections
Hans Holbein tour. On both sides of the river. Basel’s position on the Rhine accounts for a large part of its charm. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to discover both banks. This tour takes you to various parts of the Old Town to begin with, before heading to the Münsterplatz. Secular and religious dignitaries once lived in the area around the Cathedral, which today hosts numerous open-air events, such as the lantern exhibition during Basel Carnival and the Christmas market. The patrician houses along the Rittergasse lead to the former inner-city moat and to a well-tended residential area, the St. Alban-Vorstadt. The Kunstmuseum Basel, which houses many works by Hans Holbein, is on the route. Pass by the popular Cartoonmuseum Basel on your way to the St. Alban-Kirche. Through an opening in the wall you can see the arm of a cloister from the former medieval monastery. At the St. Alban-Tal, the Museum für Gegenwartskunst and the Basler Papiermühle (paper mill) are worth a visit. The large, completely preserved part of the outer city wall is an im-
Hans Holbein tour
pressive sight. You can take the ferry boat across the Rhine from Grossbasel to Kleinbasel, where a multicultural district pulsates with life among the medieval houses. Walk along the Mittlere Brücke, past the “Lällekönig”, to get back to the Marktplatz.
Hans Holbein the Younger (around 1497–1543). Lived in Basel from 1515 to 1526 and 1528 to 1532, master of portraits. Signs: green Walking time: approx. 90 minutes Suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs
Route summary. 01 Marktplatz
41 Petersplatz
02 City Hall
42 Peterskirche
03 Eisengasse and «Lällekönig»
43 Petersgasse
04 Mittlere Brücke
44 Seidenhof and Predigerkirche
05 Elftausendjungfern-Gässlein
45 Fischmarkt
06 Martinskirche
46 Schlüsselberg
07 Old university
47 Rittergasse
08 Rheinsprung
48 Kunstmuseum Basel and Zschokke fountain
09 Blue and White House
49 St. Alban-Vorstadt and Mühlenberg
10 Augustiner fountain
50 Monastery of St. Alban
11 Augustinergasse
51 St. Alban-Tal
12 Münsterplatz
52 Gallizian mill
13 Cathedral
53 Old city wall
14 Galluspforte
54 Kleinbasel
15 Pfalz and view over the Rhine
55 Rhine promenade
16 Cloister
56 Charterhouse and Oberer Rheinweg
17 Murus Gallicus
57 Rheingasse
18 Guild house zum Schlüssel
58 The three Honorary Societies
19 Guild house zu Weinleuten 20 Stapfelberg and Schlüsselberg 21 Valley lanes 22 Walk up to Leonhardssporn 23 Leonhardskirche 24 Down the hill again 25 Andreasplatz 26 Imbergässlein 27 Nadelberg 28 Totengässlein 29 Stadthaus 30 Barfüsserkirche and Museum für Geschichte 31 Tinguely fountain 32 On Leonhardssporn 33 Heuberg 34 Spiesshof 35 Spalenberg 36 The former craftsmen’s district 37 Gemsberg 38 Petersgraben 39 Spalenvorstadt 40 Spalentor
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Useful Contacts. Basel Tourism Aeschenvorstadt 36 CH-4010 Basel Phone +41 (0)61 268 68 68 Fax +41 (0)61 268 68 70 info@basel.com www.basel.com Tourist & Hotel Information In the Stadt-Casino at Barfüsserplatz Steinenberg 14 CH-4010 Basel Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9 am – 6.30 pm Saturday 9 am – 5 pm Sundays and public holidays 10 am – 3 pm Tourist & Hotel Information Swiss Railway Station SBB CH-4010 Basel Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8.30 am – 6 pm Saturday 9 am – 5 pm Sundays and public holidays 9 am – 3 pm
A city project by the “Basel Erleben” association with kind support from the canton of Basel-City. © Basel Tourism, 2015
Imprint Published by: Basel Tourism. Design: Oswald Siegfried Werbeagentur. Photographs: Kurt Ritschard, Stephan Schmuki and Andreas Zimmermann. Printed by: Werner Druck & Medien AG. FSC Paper. Published in G/E/F/I/SP.
Basel Tourism Aeschenvorstadt 36 CH-4010 Basel Phone +41 (0)61 268 68 68 Fax +41 (0)61 268 68 70 info@basel.com www.basel.com