What is this place

Basel’s Old Town spans both banks of the Rhine: Grossbasel on the Münster hill and Kleinbasel along Rheingasse. Its anchors are the Minster, the Market Square with the Town Hall, and the Middle Bridge.

Key features

  • Two banks, one core: Grossbasel and Kleinbasel are linked by the Middle Bridge – first opened 1226, present structure 1905.
  • Marktplatz and the Town Hall – seat of canton government with frescoes and tower; main corpus 1504–1514, extensions in the early 17th c. and 1900–1901.
  • Basel Minster (1019–1500) in red sandstone with Erasmus’s tomb; behind it the Pfalz terrace over the Rhine.
  • Medieval fortifications: Spalentor is the most imposing surviving city gate from c. 1400.
  • Four engine-free reaction ferries (Fähri) cross the Rhine using only the current, right by the Old Town.

What to see

  • Münsterplatz, the Minster and the Pfalz terrace with Rhine and Kleinbasel views.
  • Marktplatz with the Town Hall and the weekday produce-and-flower market.
  • The Middle Bridge and riverfronts; hop on a ferry between Grossbasel and Kleinbasel.

History

The Münster hill saw a Celtic oppidum, then a Roman vicus and late-Roman castrum; the name “Basilia” is first attested in 374.

The 1356 earthquake devastated the city and Minster. Basel hosted a church council in 1431–1449, and Switzerland’s oldest university was founded in 1460.

Basel joined the Swiss Confederation in 1501; in 1529 the Reformation and iconoclasm reshaped religious life. In modern times the current Middle Bridge dates from 1905, and since 2017 the Basler Fasnacht has been on UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage list.

Practical information

Location: Altstadt Grossbasel – from Münsterplatz to Barfüsserplatz; Altstadt Kleinbasel – Rheingasse and embankments opposite Grossbasel.

Getting there: From Basel SBB, 5–10 minutes by tram to Barfüsserplatz or Marktplatz; central stops include Barfüsserplatz, Marktplatz, Schifflände (BVB/BLT networks).

Access: Largely pedestrian; cobbles and gradients up to the Minster; stairs at the Pfalz terrace and ferry landings.

Hours: 24/7 year-round; museums and interiors keep their own schedules.

Visiting hours: 2–4 hours for the core squares, Minster and bridge; longer with museums.

Best time: Morning and golden hour at the Pfalz; summer for river promenades, winter for calm bridge views.

Notes: During the 72-hour Basler Fasnacht after Ash Wednesday expect closures and dense crowds; the Town Hall has short guided visits to representative rooms.