First Weekend in Basel (30th June / 1st July)

For our first weekend in Switzerland we decided to see what our new hometown, Basel, had to offer.

Saturday morning we started with a leisurely hike in the park near our apartment. Hiking is a right here in Switzerland, people take to their walking shoes and hiking poles with a pride seen nowhere else. We can see why, Basel is such a walkable city, friendly to pedestrians and bicyclists alike.

As we went about our lovely hike, we naturally built up a bit of a thirst, as one does. Fortunately, as we rounded the bend of our trail, we found a hidden beer garden! Oh the Swiss...such timing, so organized!

We made like locals and engaged in a summery beverage, BIER!

Following our excursion in the park we headed to Old Town Basel for a guided walking tour. We congregated at this fountain near the Theatre. These mechanized sculptures are works by Swiss artist, Jean Tingueley, who also has a museum in his name on the other side of the Rhine.

Barefoot plaza, given the name long ago, due to the barefoot monks who walked the cobblestone paths without shoes.

Bikes! There are two things most Swiss have in common with each other, the first is that they smoke. Oh EVERYONE smokes! The second is that they bike. Perhaps they counter one another as you'll often see many Swiss partaking in both activities at the same time.

In the cathedral plaza, sits the 11th century Basel Munster (cathedral). It was built in 1019 and is said to be in a perpetual state of renovation. Following a large earthquake in the 14th century, it took several centuries to repair the red sandstone structure, hence the varied architectural styles.

Making our guided way through the Munsterplatz (cathedral plaza).

Yes, that's the head of a rooster, on the body of a dragon, with the wings of a bat. No, this isn't a character out of a Harry Potter novel, but rather, it's Basel's basilisk holding the coat of arms featuring the top of a staff.

Here's a view of the marketplace bustling on a Saturday afternoon, with local farm produce stands, as it has for hundreds and hundreds of years.

A residential alley.

Looks as though Basel is short on building materials, but that's nothing a patchwork of Lego's can't fix!

Throughout the city of Basel, you'll find numerous fountains pouring fresh water out of small spouts, ready for the taking. This isn't just native to Basel either, throughout Switzerland, if you're ever in need of a swig, find a fountain.

Spalentor city gate, dating back to the 15th century.

Saturday evening we enjoyed a lovely dinner along the Rhine, at RhyWyera.

From our table, we had prime seating to watch daredevils jump from the bridge into the river.

Sunday, Basel was covered in grey clouds and blankets of rain, so we headed to the museum! The popular fine arts Kunstmuseum was the perfect place to stay indoors. We enjoyed a timeless Renoir exhibit as well as some great pieces by Van Gogh, Picasso, Braque, and Klee.

And Spain takes the cake! We ended our weekend watching the 2012 EuroCup finals at an Irish pub called Paddy Reilly's. It was Spain v. Italy but wasn't much of a match as Spain swept the Italians, 4-0.