The Basel MÃnster high up over the Rhine. -- Das Basler MÃnster hoch Ãber dem Rhein.
The Basel MÃnster high up over the Rhine. -- Das Basler MÃnster hoch Ãber dem Rhein.
The Basel MÃnster high up over the Rhine. -- Das Basler MÃnster hoch Ãber dem Rhein.
The Basel MÃnster high up over the Rhine. -- Das Basler MÃnster hoch Ãber dem Rhein.

Where to eat, sleep and shop in Basel, Switzerland


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Why Basel?

Tucked into the northwest corner of Switzerland, just a handful of kilometres from the French and German borders, Basel is a vibrant, fascinating city. It is home to one of the world’s greatest art fairs as well as the country’s largest and most flamboyant carnival.

Art Basel (www.artbasel.com/basel), which runs for a week in June (14-17 this year), is the world's premier fair of modern and contemporary art. Yet, despite the flair of this huge event and the city's breathtaking museums, the heart and soul of Basel remains its beautifully preserved medieval Old Town (Altstadt). Perched above the banks of the Rhine, its twisting streets and alleys lead you past buildings dating back to the 15th century, and eye-catching oddities like the Tinguely Brunnen, a pool with strange mechanical fountains created by Swiss artist Jean Tinguely.

A comfortable bed

Swissôtel Le Plaza (https://www.swissotel.com/hotels/basel) is an excellent hotel located on Messeplatz, right opposite the Exhibition and Trade Centre – smart and stylish, with impeccable service. Double rooms cost from 313 Swiss francs (Dh1,229, including breakfast).

Der Teufelhof (www.teufelhof.com) is a small art-themed hotel in the old town. ­Created from two 18th century ­town houses, it includes a theatre, and a cellar housed among remnants of the city's medieval walls. Double rooms cost from 228 francs (Dh894, ­including breakfast).

The Krafft (www.krafftbasel.ch) is a good value historic riverside hotel, with complimentary self-service water and tea stations on every floor, as well as free use of the hotel's Brompton bikes. Double rooms cost from 157.50 francs (Dh618, including breakfast).

Find your feet

Wander up through the Old Town from the market square opposite the Town Hall (Rathaus), to the imposing red sandstone cathedral with its twin towers and colourful tiled roof. Behind the cathedral, the Pfalz terrace offers wonderful views across the Rhine to the houses on the other side, as ferry boats cross the river driven only by its current.

Basel is home to several world-class museums, foremost among them the Kunstmuseum (www.kunstmuseumbasel.ch), which spans three buildings, housing an astonishingly rich collection of artworks. There are paintings dating from the 15th to the 18th centuries by Hans Holbein the Younger, Cranach the Elder and other Old Masters; while the 19th- and early 20th- century collection includes iconic works by the likes of Picasso, Mondrian, Calder, Klee, Cezanne and Van Gogh.

The Kunstmuseum Basel with the new wing on the left. Kunstmuseum Basel / Julian Salinas
The Kunstmuseum Basel with the new wing on the left. Kunstmuseum Basel / Julian Salinas

The contemporary collection, housed in the Gegenwart building – one of the world’s first museum buildings dedicated to contemporary art when it opened in 1908 – includes work by Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Bruce Nauman and others. Finally, there’s a phenomenal collection of prints and drawings which runs the gamut from the Renaissance to the present day.

As well as immersing yourself in its larger museums, spare some time for the city's smaller museums and galleries, such as the Cartoonmuseum (http://cartoonmuseum.ch) and Tinguely Museum (www.tinguely.ch).

Meet the locals

Basel City Hall. Pixabay
Basel City Hall. Pixabay

For a taste of everyday life visit one of its large markets, where locals go to stock up on fresh produce. The Stadtmarkt (Tuesday to Saturday) and the trendier Schlemmermarkt (Mondays) are both held in front of the Town Hall. The Indoor Market (www.altemarkthalle.ch), located opposite the main railway station (Basel SBB), is a good place to seek out for reasonably priced street food.

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Book a table

The top-notch Schlüsselzunft (www.schluesselzunft.ch) is housed in one of the city's oldest Guild houses, dating back to the 15th century. Choose from entrees along the lines of ravioli stuffed with courgette and saffron with lemon grass foam (24 francs; Dh94), and mains like sautéed pike-perch fillet with sage foam, potatoes and beans (46 francs; Dh180), or plump for the seven-course degustation menu for 125 francs (Dh490).

Tibits (www.tibits.ch), the excellent vegetarian and vegan chain founded by three Swiss brothers, has a branch in Basel, housed in the old Kino Hollywood. Simply load up from the buffet-style cornucopia of dishes, and take your plate to be weighed (4.20 francs; Dh16.5 per 100g).

Ufer7 (www.ufer7.ch) has a short menu with the likes of fish strips (19.70 francs; Dh77) or a more substantial fish platter (38 francs; Dh149), and a nice terrace by the Rhine.

Shopper’s paradise

Lackerli Huus (www.laeckerli-huus.ch) is the place to stock up on Basler Lackerli, the delicious spiced soft gingerbread biscuits for which Basel is famous – using a recipe that has remained unchanged for more than 100 years. There are shops on Gerbergasse, Greifengasse and at Basel SBB. For boutiques, jewellery and luxury watches, the old town is hard to beat – Bucherer (www.bucherer.com) and Metzger (www.mezger.ch) are long-established shops on Freie Strasse. Head for Tim Delfs' Sonnenuhren if you like sundials.

What to avoid

Don’t expect to arrive during Art Basel and find accommodation – it’s a must to book well in advance.

Paolo Icaro at Galleria Massimo Minini at Art Basel 2017. Art Basel
Paolo Icaro at Galleria Massimo Minini at Art Basel 2017. Art Basel

Don’t miss

Don’t miss the Basler Fasnacht (www.baslerfasnacht.info), Switzerland’s largest carnival. It kicks off at 4am on the dot on the first Monday after Ash Wednesday in February, with Morgestraich – when all the city’s lights are switched off, and people march through the old town carrying exquisitely painted lanterns, to the sound of thousands of pipes and drums. Inscribed on the Unesco list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Getting there

Etihad (www.etihad.com) flies direct from Abu Dhabi to Zurich from Dh3,295 return; Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies direct from Dubai to Zürich from Dh3,225 return including taxes. Swiss Rail (https://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html) runs direct services between Zurich Airport (Zurich Flughafen) and Basel SBB, journey time 90 minutes; or via Zurich Hauptbahnhof with a journey time of 70 minutes.

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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Where to submit a sample

Volunteers of all ages can submit DNA samples at centres across Abu Dhabi, including: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), Biogenix Labs in Masdar City, NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City, NMC Royal Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, NMC Royal Women's Hospital, Bareen International Hospital, Al Towayya in Al Ain, NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain

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MATCH INFO

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

Match on BeIN Sports

'The Sky is Everywhere'

Director:Josephine Decker

Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon

Rating:2/5

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ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
if you go
SERIES SCHEDULE

First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog

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Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.

Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic 

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Three stars

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.