Basel - city at the border of three countries

NOTE: As I just learned, the hotel is closed due to renovation work until the beginning of 2006!

Luxury with a view.

The location on the rim of the Rhine makes it very central for any excursions through the city (tram and bus and ferry have stops right in front of the doors). The view if you have a riverside room must be very nice.

The restaurant is split in two. In one part, you can order dishes from the menu or have sushi. In the other section, the meal you choose is prepared and cooked right at your table. It’s a Japanese table grill.

It’s better to book ahead.

When there is Mass in Basel, you will not have the chance to get a table here - too many Japanese book months ahead (which speaks for the restaurant, I think).

If you are coming in winter, you may be lucky and see it fully covered in ice, which gives it a fairy-tale feeling. (See picture.)

And if you really liked Tinguely's style, don't forget that there's a Tinguley museum in Basel, too!

The thing in the front is a sculpture. Unfortunately, I don’t remember by which artist. Actually, I don’t like it (I call it the Wall of Rust), and others must not like it, since it’s often used to graffiti.

(Just recently, I read that the rust covering was intentionally put there by the artist, but it is in danger because of the spray paint and because some men obviously can't wait for the next toilet.)

Just some of it:
One one side of the main gate, you see the holy Martin sharing his clothes. On the other side is Georg the Dragon slayer (with quite a cute dragon, actually). The gate on the side of the building has the wheel of fortune over it. Inside somewhere is the Jewish Star of David on the ground.

The towers can be climbed, but I think you have to have a reservation to do that. The stairs are small and steep. It’s a real experience, and they go up very high.

The first version was built in 1226. Half of the bridge was made of wood and half of stone (the stone half is on the side of the bigger part of Basel). Later, it became quite important, as it was one of the few ways to cross the Rhine and was on a different trade route.

The smaller Basel part was actually built as a "bridge head" to protect the important bridge against attacks from Germany. Up until today, that bridge would be an important defense point, and as far as I know, there are still explosives built into it, just in case.

In 1905, the bridge as it stands today was built. The Käppeli (chapel) in the middle reminds us of the old bridge.

As one might notice, the bridge is quite clean. The stone it was made of had to be washed. That is also quite a story. On one April 1, a radio station made a joke, saying that the government has decided to paint the Middle Bridge white. That made quite an uproar (for nothing, since it was only a joke). But because they really did paint part of the bridge white in the night, they had to clean it off - and realized that this was not so easy. In the end, that piece looked a lot different from the rest, so they were forced to clean the whole bridge.

In the last years, they made some very special additions. One is the Etosha house, where they simulate African flora and fauna. I am sure the lions will soon not be so shy anymore and let themselves be seen...

In winter, there is the "Penguin Parade". When it's cold enough outside, they take a walk with the penguins. My, they are cute (see pic)!

Because the town grew too big, they finally tore down the walls and filled up the ditches. From these seven doors, only three persist. They are the St. Alban Gate, the St. Johann Gate, and the Spalen Gate.

The St. Alban Gate in the picture is 32m high. It was the southern gate and a way to get to the Cloister settlement in the St. Alban Valley.

The Cluniazenser Cloister was founded in 1083. The romantic church of St. Alban belonged to it, too (and can also be visited here). The monks also made an artificial pond and two canals to the Rhine so they could power some mills.

The surroundings of the gate are wonderful pieces of the old Basel, with its well-maintained and renovated buildings. Just have a stroll around.

In the museum, you can watch how to make paper (and do some yourself). It is very much worth a visit. In the surrounding area, you can find many old and well-restored and renovated buildings. It is a nice place for a walk.

It starts in the morning at 4am, when all the lights are put out, and proceeds through several stages - some more open, some for children, and others in the restaurants and so on. You can find the date on the website: www.fasnacht.ch. You can also see more pictures, etc. (it's written in German).

The Messeturm (Mass Tower) is, at 107 meters, the highest building in Switzerland and one of the new "highlights" of Basels Skyline (so the builders say). I think it's more a klutz.

In the tower on the 31st and 30th floors, there is the "Bar Rouge". During the week, the entrance is free. On weekends they do have special attractions like "Latin Night" or so, and then it costs.

What is special here are the toilets. Entering your toilet cabin, you have a wonderful view right over the city, since the windows go from the ceiling to the floor. Nothing for people who are afraid of heights (and if you know where to look, you could be able to see some small people sitting on the toilet, since the windows are not mirrored - but it is quite high up, so you will not really see much).

Opening times:
Monday to Wednesday 5pm-1am
Thursday 5pm-2am
Friday and Saturday 5pm-4am
Sunday 8pm-1am

(Thanks to my friend Tea for the picture--he made it with a handy, so never mind the quality.)

The three Ehrengesellschaften are:
Rebhaus, Greifen and Haeren. They are represented at the "Vogel Gryff" event through the "Wild Maa" (wild man), "Vogel Gryff" (the Bird Griffin), and the Leu (Lion).

The Vogel Gryff is a thing of the smaller Basel (Kleinbasel). The three representatives in their costumes are coming together, dancing in front of several buildings and going down the Rhine until the Middle Bridge on a raft. The Gryff is not really a bird. It is that fabulous animal like seen in the newest Harry Potter, and it is often shown with four legs. A Griffin, like in Griffindor.

This "Vogel Gryff" festival is a tradition with many aspects. When they are dancing, three Uelis are collecting money. The Uelis that also belong to the three Ehrengesellschaften are white/green. There is a fourth one that is white/black since 1937. They were collecting money for the widows and orphans of the members of the unions (there wasn't always the social state like today). Today the money they get (also over shecks) is still used for social institutions in the smaller Basel.

Another interesting thing is the Wild Man (see tip there).

The bigger Basel didn't like this festival, so they made and hung up a face that is showing its tongue to the smaller Basel. The "Laellekoenig" (Tongue - king). You can find that face on the Middle Bridge looking at the side of the smaller Basel....

Start of this local event is around 10:30 (depends on the water in the Rhine); in 2005 it was on January 13th.