Basel was a short weekend getaway for us as there were cheap flights from Edinburgh. A quick Google search said “The old town was an absolute must” but on hindsight, we wish we had done a little more research before booking. We were surprised at how compact the old town was, and it didn’t leave a lasting impression. It didn’t take long before we felt we’d exhausted the main sights. That said, we didn’t visit any of the museums which Basel is famous for, which we’d definitely recommend if you’re looking to fill a couple of days.

Night 1

We arrived in Basel early Friday evening and were really pleased on how easy and straightforward it was to get to our hotel in Kleinbasel which is across the river from the old town. Free public transport using the ‘Basel card’ comes with the majority of hotels and your hotel booking confirmation can be used to used on the bus from the airport. We got the 50 bus from outside the airport then a quick switch over to a tram then a 2 minute walk to hotel. The whole journey took around 40 mins. The Public transport here is clean, frequent (even on a Sunday) and very easy to use.

We stayed at Bloom Boutique Hotel, which was easy to find and simple to check into and the receptionist was really friendly. We hadn’t included breakfast in our booking which would have been slightly cheaper if we had booked in advance but still what we consider quite expensive at around 20 CHF (which is a reflection of Swiss eating out prices). The room was small but spotless and had everything we needed especially if you’re planning to spend most of your time exploring.

For dinner, we had booked Gifthüttli, a traditional Swiss restaurant in the old town. It was about a 15 minute walk from our hotel where we crossed the Mittlere Brücke, a historic bridge in Basel that crosses the Rhine River, We could have taken the tram. The atmosphere in the restaurant was cosy and very Swiss, and we shared a bottle of very nice wine. We both ordered the cordon bleu, it was good, though nothing special or memorable, especially for the price. The bill came to around 160 CHF. Basel is very expensive!!

After dinner we finished with a drink in Mr Pickwicks, a traditional pub, busy with locals and tourists which had a lively and welcoming atmosphere. The prices were fair for Swiss old town prices at around 8 CHF for a pint of beer.

Day 2

The next morning we wandered through Basel’s Old Town, which has some winding cobbled streets and colourful buildings. It was very “Swiss-looking”.

We took a walk along freistrasse, a lively street near Basel main train station with lots of shops.

We visited Basel Minster, a beautiful cathedral, and paid 6 CHF each to climb the towers. The views over the city and Rhine were worth it, though I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re on the heavier side! The staircase was VERY narrow.

We took pictures of the town hall and wandered around the tiny courtyard with lovey murals.

There were lots of cafes, expect to pay around 8 CHF for coffee and cake. We came across a second day shop called Ass-Bar selling discounted cakes and coffee to take away.

We’d read that Kleinbasel (Johann area) felt more local, so we decided to walk there which turned out to be a mistake. The walk itself wasn’t particularly scenic, and with cold, snowy weather, the Rhine path didn’t feel very inviting. In hindsight, this is one area where hopping on a tram would have been the best thing to do. There wasn’t a lot of places open either, with a few bars and restaurants not opening until 3pm.

We ended up jumping on the number 8 tram, which took us over the border into Germany. It felt a great experience, especially how seamless it was to suddenly find ourselves in another country. It’s probably a bit of a novelty coming from the UK, where we’re not used to travelling so easily between European countries.

We got off at Weil am Rhein tram stop and headed straight for a kebab shop called Tandir Grill Kebab. We had to wait about 15 minutes, but it was well worth the wait for an excellent, freshly made kebab and a large beer, both far better value than anything we’d had in Switzerland so far.

After lunch, we jumped back on the tram for two stops to Dreiländerbrücke. Standing on the Dreiländerbrücke bridge (a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the Rhine, linking Weil am Rhein (Germany) with Huningue (France) we could see Three Countries Point, where Switzerland, Germany and France meet.

If you want to visit the point, you can get off the tram at Kleinhuningen and walk to it from there.

Feeling enthusiastic about how easy border crossing into Germany had been. we then crossed the Dreiländerbrücke into France. We made the mistake of setting off on another walk in France, this time heading towards Saint Louis Grenze, where we knew we could get a tram back to Basel. We assumed we’d stumble across bars or cafés along the way. Instead we found ourselves trekking through quiet residential streets in France with absolutely nothing happening. I’d suggest if you want to explore France from Basel to do some research first.

That evening, we ate in a small, local feeling restaurant called Vogesenstube in the Johann area which we’d chosen specifically for its reputation for hearty, traditional food. We had booked it in advance by sending a Facebook message.

The woman serving us was really friendly and welcoming. We ordered cheese fondue, with extra sides of potatoes and pickle which was really good and felt very Swiss. If you’ve never tried potatoes with fondue it’s a must!!! It worked out less than 30 CHF per person so reasonably priced by Swiss standards.

Day 3

We started our day by taking full advantage of Basel’s tram system, this time on the number 11 tram to Aesch for a glimpse of local suburban life. It was a lovely change of scenery, hills in the distance, pretty villages, and a more relaxed feel. We went for a walk past some nice buildings and a castle then finished off with a nice slice of cake and coffee at Confiserie Aebisher.

Back into the old town on the tram, we took a wander rounds Markthalle, a busy indoor market with several international foods around the 20 CHF mark. This is definitely cheaper than Swiss restaurants but for us felt too busy. The food looked good though and definitely one to try.

We also visited the nearby Tinguely Fountain, but found this a bit underwhelming.

We finished the trip by buying our customary fridge magnet, which set us back a record breaking 8 CHF, before heading to the airport for our late afternoon flight back to Edinburgh.