A cultural weekend in BaselBy Emmanuel TresmontantOnly a short distance from Alsace and the Black Forest, Basel occupies a pivotal position where Switzerland, France and Germany come together. Still little known by the general public, this old humanist and university city crossed by the Rhine is nevertheless Switzerland's cultural capital. It's well worth spending a weekend here before the end of the year as the already legendary Fondation Beyeler is celebrating its tenth anniversary with an exceptional exhibition! A city on the Rhine that ticks all the boxes In this pivotal 'three borders' region, one of the most vibrant cultural and economic crossroads of Europe, Basel certainly ranks as the foremost city. The third Swiss city in population terms and the second economic pole (30,000 French and German frontier workers come to work here every day), Basel, which owes its wealth to its chemical and pharmaceutical industries, also enjoys a permanent cultural vibrancy as evidenced by its many congresses, fairs and exhibitions attracting more than a million visitors every year!  Basel World © Basel Tourismus Art Basel, in June, is for instance the European contemporary arts event attracting major collectors, while Basel World, held in April, stands out as the foremost world watch, clock and jewellery show. The very old autumn fair (held in Basel for the past 500 years) and the International Art and Antiques Fair, for their part, make the lacklustre month of November a moment of intense activity that you must experience once in your life... Since the Renaissance, Basel has been home to some of the greatest western intellectuals, like the humanist Erasmus from Rotterdam, the doctor Paracelsus, the painter Holbein, and also in the 19th and 20th centuries, the historian Jacob Burckhardt, the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and the psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung. On a different note, the surroundings of Basel - a few minutes from the Black Forest, the Vosges and the Jura - are also ideal for sport and relaxation. Moreover it is here, in the neighbourhood of Oberwil, that the world's leading tennis player, Roger Federer, has always lived.  Town Hall © E. Tresmontant/ViaMichelin Discovery of old Basel (a 2 to 3 hours walk)High above the banks of the Rhine, the old town is, with its 15th century houses, one of the best preserved in Europe. To explore it, I recommend you start from Marktplatz dominated by the Town Hall, seat of the government of the Canton of Basel-City. The construction of this monumental building, in red sandstone from the Vosges, took four hundred years, from 1504 to 1904! Walk into the central courtyard to discover the frescoes by Hans Bock (1610) representing scenes from Jewish history. From a balcony overlooking the courtyard you can admire the roofs covered with multicoloured tiles and the tower featuring a marvellous golden wooden pinnacle by Master Diebold von Arx. Every day, locals cross their Town Hall to reach the upper town perched on Münster Hill. It is here, around the 12th century cathedral (where Erasmus is buried) that the main events of Basel's history took place.  The Basilisk © E. Tresmontant/ViaMichelin Pfalz Terrace (name of the former episcopal palace) commands a fine view over the Rhine and its banks with their intense daily activity: dozens of boats going up or down the river, occasionally sometimes missing the pillars of Middle Bridge by a mere hair's breadth. Locals also love to cross the Rhine on ferries which have been plying back and forth between 'Big Basel' and 'Little Basel' for 150 years. You have to shake a bell for the Fährima (ferryman) to come and pick you up. While nibbling the famous läckerli (spicy biscuits that have been made in Basel since the Middle Ages), you'll now walk along the city's most beautiful paved, pedestrian streets like Spalenberg (with its multitude of art galleries, jewellers and antique dealers) or Gemsberg (leading to a square surrounded by 13th and 14th century houses). Old Basel is also fascinating on account of its 170 monumental fountains, some of which feature the 'Basilisk': a dragon with a cock's head that has been Basel's emblem since the 15th century. The fountain water is potable, so on hot days you'll see many locals walking around with plastic cups to quench their thirst! Der Teufelhof, a truly unique place! If you're coming to Basel for the first time, I recommend you stay at Hotel Der Teufelhof, probably one of the quirkiest places in Europe. After crisscrossing the continent with their travelling theatre, its owners, Monica and Dominique Thommy-Kneschaurek, had the idea in 1989 to create high up in the old Basel a 100% cultural venue where creativity would be paired with gourmandise and hospitality. Der Teufelhof is a hotel with 9 rooms, each decorated by a different artist and where televisions have been banned! The hotel also features a pretty, old-style theatre, under the roof, open all year round; a bar; a greengrocer's; and a wine cellar overlooking the city's former fortifications. An aficionado of authentic, organic wines, Monica will introduce you to the best Swiss wines, like those by Marie-Thérèse Chappaz who produces, on the slopes of the Valais, crystal-clear Chasselas and really superb grain noble wines. Der Teufelhof is also renowned for its Bel étage restaurant decorated with paintings, crystal chandeliers and various trompe-l'oeil paintings forming a nicely old-fashioned and intimate decor. Chef Michael Baader (one Michelin star) prepares creative cuisine with Italian hints (menus from 77 to 152 CHF).  The Kunstmuseum © Basel Tourismus Basel, Swiss cultural capitalBasel, with its 40 museums spread over only 37 sq. km., has a quite amazing array of cultural activities, satisfying all tastes, whether you like paintings, dolls or the unusual (as at the minute 'Hoosesagg-Museum' (Pocket museum) where everything you can find in a pocket is exhibited!). You'll therefore have to pick and choose or else come back to Basel several times. Among the 'must-visit' museums, mention is to be made of the Kunstmuseum, founded in 1661 by patrons of the arts. The first art museum open to the public, it is mainly devoted to paintings and drawings by Rhenish artists (Cranach, Grünewald, Dürer, etc.) and possesses the biggest world collection of works by the Holbein family. Paintings by Van Gogh, Gauguin and Cezanne also form a memorable part of the visit. The Tinguely Museum, designed by architect Mario Botta, pays homage to the great Basel artist (born in 1925) who, in the 50s and 60s in Paris, revolutionised the static world of arts by inventing all kinds of mobile sculptural machines.  Fondation Beyeler © Basel Tourismus Fondation Beyeler is celebrating its tenth anniversary: a not to be missed event'I wanted to see how things evolve and if they withstand the test of time.... ' Ernst Beyeler. When choosing, I'd recommend without any hesitation that you visit Fondation Beyeler which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. Constructed in 1997 by architect Renzo Piano, the building commissioned (and funded!) by art merchant Ernst Beyeler is located in magnificent landscaped grounds in Riehen, a few minutes by tram from town centre. Since the opening of Fondation Beyeler in 1997, thirty or so exhibitions have been held. At the end of 2006, the Foundation had welcomed nearly 3 million visitors (half of whom had come from abroad). This project, which originally costed 55 million Swiss francs (37 million euros) has not been subsidised at all by the town. Today, Fondation Beyeler is one of the most visited museums in Switzerland and an integral part of Basel's heritage! Here, everything is luxury, calm and voluptuousness! The collection formed very freely by Ernst Beyeler from 1947 to the end of the 1990s presents admirable 20th century classics such as Douanier Rousseau, Picasso, Matisse, Bonnard, Klee, Max Ernst, Giacometti, Bacon, Pollock, Rothko and, more recently, Anselm Kiefer. Benefiting from natural light and a sensational amount of space, Fondation Beyeler implements Picasso's saying that 'art serves to wash everyday dust off the soul'. On the occasion of its tenth anniversary, the Foundation (which will be directed from 2008 by Samuel Keller, manager of Basel Fair) has grouped the finest paintings bought and then sold by Ernst Beyeler during his career: you'll discover in particular a magnificent and little known portrait by Gauguin of his mother in 1890. The exhibition will end on 6 January 2008.  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13    AddressesDer Teufelhof Leonhardsgraben 49 CH-4051 Basel Tel.: 0041 61 261 10 10 Fondation Beyeler Baselstrasse 77 CH-4125 Riehen / Basel Tel.: 0041 61 645 97 00 Bâle Tourisme Aeschenvorstadt 36 CH-4010 Basel Tel.: 004161 268 68 70 |
Tourism and Gastronomy
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