7 Iconic Buildings to Explore in Basel City

Checkout places to visit in Basel City

Basel City

The Canton of Basel-Stadt, established in 1833, is the most densely populated canton in Switzerland. The Carnival of Basel is a major cultural event in the year. The carnival is one of the biggest in Switzerland and attracts large crowds.

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Iconic Buildings to Explore in Basel City

Basel Town Hall

The Basel Town Hall is a 500-year-old building dominating the Marktplatz in Basel, Switzerland. The Town Hall houses the meetings of the Cantonal Parliament as well as the Cantonal Government of the canton of Basel-Stadt. The Great Council Chamber at one time featured a series of frescoes painted in 1522 by Hans Holbein the Younger, which have been lost. Fragments of the work as well as some of the initial drawings are kept in the Kunstmuseum.

Basler Stadtmauer

The Gate of Spalen is a former city gate in the ancient city walls of Basel, Switzerland. One of the three remaining gateways, it is regarded as one of the most beautiful gates of Switzerland. The gate is a landmark of Basel and a heritage site of national significance.

Birseck Castle

Birseck Castle is one of four castles on a slope called Birseck that confines the plain of the Birs river. The Eremitage building group that includes the castle is listed as a heritage site of national significance. Reichenstein Castle is the sister castle to Birseck and sits on a higher slope to the north.

Brasilea Stiftung

The Brasilea Foundation is an international exhibition house in Basel, Switzerland, with a focus on Brazilian artists and art that deals thematically with Brazil. The exhibition house is located in Basel's Rheinhafen directly in the three-country corner, bordering France and Germany. The collection of the founder Walter Wüthrich has been accessible to the public since 2005.

Goetheanum

The Goetheanum is situated in Dornach, around 10 kilometers outside the city center. It serves as the head office and conference venue of the General Anthroposophical Society and boasts a distinctive shape, which has also inspired the architects of neighboring buildings. The current building was constructed between 1925 and 1928. Both were designed by the esoteric Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy. The monumental exposed-concrete building is particularly striking, owing to the almost

Silo Tower Basel

The Silo Tower of Basel is located in the Swiss city of Basel, in the Rhine harbour of Kleinhueningen, near the Dreiländereck. The silo tower was built in 1923 by a Swiss shipping company. Its viewing platform stands at a height of 52 metres, which offers a view of the Rhine, the Rhine harbour, the city of Basel, and the Sundgauer hill country. It is one of the unique attractions in the city and also offers a panoramic view of the city.

St. Johanns-Tor

St. Johanns-Tor is one of the three surviving entrance gates to the old medieval walled city, which formed part of the fortifications built shortly after the great earthquake of 1356. Today this former gateway to the city is home to Basel's police force. The gateway is the landmark of the St. Johann quarter of the city.

Map of Iconic Buildings to explore in Basel City