Having Basil in Basel, Switzerland

For several weeks I’ve been writing about the history of small towns in

Boy and Fish Fountain

Texas. The next few blogs concern the much older cities we visited on our trip from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, Netherlands. Basel is in northwestern Switzerland on the Rhine River. We arrived a couple of days early to allow for jet lag and do some sightseeing on our own. Our first surprise was that the EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg is actually in France, and if you go out the wrong door, you end up with taxis that only go to France. However, the cabbies are used to confused tourists and kindly helped us get to the Swiss transportation. Basel, essentially, is located at the nexus of Switzerland, France and Germany with suburbs in each country. It’s not surprising that although the official language is the Swiss variety of standard German, many people speak French and English as a matter of course.

Even though Basel has about 180,000 inhabitants, it seems very quiet. I commented on this to the cab driver who replied, ‘Of course it’s quite,

L to R: Priest fountain, Basilisk fountain

we’re Swiss!’ And while it’s seems sedate, the city is known for international level museums, such as the Kunstmuseum with an art collection that became accessible to the public in 1661, along with its centuries-long commitment to humanism that made Switzerland a haven for such free thinkers as Erasmus of Rotterdam, the Holbein family, Friedrich Nietzsche, Hermann Hesse, and Karl Jaspers. As a commercial hub and an important cultural center since the Renaissance, it’s of no surprise that the University of Basel was founded in 1460. Basel has also been a center for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries that settled here in the 1900s. With this economic diversity it follows that Switzerland is an expensive place to visit; I’d go back to Basel just for the baked goods, but I might choose the summer rather than the spring just in case it’s warmer and drier.

If we jump on the ‘wayback machine’ set for the area around the current

Exterior and interior of the Basel Münster

Basel, we’d see that this expanse was settled (at least as far as the ruins tell scientists) in the Iron Age. Years later the Romans arrived making Basel a part of an administrative center and a fortified camp. Their hold over the area continued until the 4^th Century when Germanic confederations began to try to cross the Rhine River. The Alemanni finally conquered the Romans and settled what is currently Alsace; Basel has been an Alemannic settlement ever since. Frankish rule began in the 6^th Century and continued until Basel was destroyed by a Magyar invasion in 917. From the establishment of the Moutier-Grandval Abbey, the end of the 10^th Century and the beginning of the 11^th Century, Basel was the seat of a Prince-Bishopric and ruled by prince-bishops. This religious/governmental structure pushed Basel firmly into the Holy Roman Empire in 1032. The historic cathedral in the city, Basel Münster, took almost 500 years to build (1019 to 1500).

The Bishops, who ruled from Basel Münster, had a great hand in the economic development of the area. Guilds began in the 13^th century with

Bronze skull mask

the furriers in about 1226. And by the end of the century there were 15 guilds increasing the town’s reputation, influence and income, thus expanding Basel’s market. Development of the area continued until the mid-1300s when the Black Death arrived in Europe. Needing a scapegoat for this calamity, the guilds blamed the Jews. These people were rounded up, tortured, and executed. Although a few escaped, 600 Jews were murdered; their surviving children were forcibly converted to Christianity. Jews were banned from Basel for 200 years, but their money was used to rebuild the city, along with castles, after the earthquake of 1356. Throughout the 15^th century Basel served as the focal point of western Christendom including the site of the election of the antipope Felix V. The church was also involved in educating the populous, and in 1459 Pope Pius II endowed the University of Basel; on the heels of this, the apprentices of Johann Gutenberg introduced the new craft of printing to Basel. Printing rapidly became a business and 1488 what is now the oldest publishing house still in business, Schwabe, was founded by Johannes Petri.

About 20 years later with the Basel Münster completed (after 500 years)

L to R:City Gate, Guild Symbols

and Basel a member of the Swiss Confederation, a new Town Hall (Rathaus Basel-Stadt) was built. Not long after this the Swiss Council, run by the guilds, took control of the government thereby moving the bishops into a religious capacity, only; this didn’t go over well with the church and the bishop appealed this ruling, to no avail. Although the city became Protestant, the bishop’s crook was retained as the city’s coat of arms. This mark may also be found on some of the early books printed in Basel. These early books include texts about religion, science, and martial arts. The first edition of Calvinist doctrine by John Calvin, Christianae religionis institutio, was published in 1536. The first book on human anatomy, De humani corporis fabrica by Andreas Vesalius, was printed in 1543; the illustrations in this book are amazing. There is some evidence that Kunst des Fechten by Joachim Meyer was also published in Basel about this time. It’s not unexpected that the first public art museum was established in such an educated city. The Amerbaschsches Kabinett was the core of the Kunstmuseum, and just the beginning of museums in Basel. The city is also the site of Switzerland's first zoological garden, Zoo Basel, that opened in 1874.

With the chemical and pharmaceutical industries beginning in Basel in the

Basel on the Rhine

early 20^th century, it’s probably not surprising that Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann first synthesized LSD here in 1938. Fifty years later, the Basel Convention was called to order for the express purpose of preventing the disposal of hazardous waste created by wealthy countries in underdeveloped nations. Chemicals and pharmaceuticals make up over 94% of Basel City's exports; and 20% of the exports of Switzerland. With its economic base, social environment, and center for art and artists, Basel is ranked among the ten most livable cities in the world for 2019.

Although Switzerland is expensive, there are lots of nice hotels and plenty

Cow painting

of good places to eat. In fact, we didn’t find a restaurant to which we wouldn’t make a return visit. However, restaurants don’t open too early, so if you’re looking for breakfast, keep an eye out for a bakery or a place near a tourist center – they are more likely to be open before 9:00 AM. For information about my rating system, see Reading the Reviews.

Where we stayed:

Four carrots

Hotel Basel (Münzgasse 12, 4001 Basel, Switzerland, +41 61 264 68 00): ‘Set in the city's Old Town and pedestrian zone, this refined hotel is a 5-minute walk from the Rhine, a 12-minute walk from artwork at the

L to R: Bathroom, Bedroom

Kunstmuseum Basel and a 3-minute walk from Marktplatz square.’ This is a lovely place with a very good staff that is multi-lingual; they know good places to eat and where all the cruise ships dock. The room is rather small, as are many rooms in Europe, but they are well appointed, clean, and well serviced. We were surprised that they provided hand towels to take home along with copies of fairy tales from the area. The bathroom was also small, but with a see-through panel from the bedroom to the bath that could be covered for privacy. The accoutrements were very nice and there were plenty of them.

What we ate:

Four carrots

Bistro Kunstmuseum (St. Alban-Graben 16, 4051 Basel, Switzerland,

Top L to R: Pesto spaghetti and shrimp,
Potato soup and green salad
Bottom: Crusty bread

+41 61 271 55 22) is, as the name suggests, in the museum. The food was so good we almost didn’t get a picture! Unless you go to a food counter, don’t count on a speedy meal. Plates are prepared as you order, so it may take a while to get your food. Service was good from a friendly lady who ran through German and French before deciding we were Americans with bad language skills in both. She laughed with us and brought us a delightful meal.

Brasserie Sieger (Münzgasse 12, 4001 Basel, Switzerland, +41 61 264 68 28) is located on the bottom floor of the Hotel Basel. We went in at

Top L to R: Crusty bread, Risotto
Bottom L to R: Fish and chips, Poodle

about 5:30 PM and the place was beginning to fill up with folks who had made reservations. I was thoroughly delighted to see that they allowed dogs not only on the patio, but in the restaurant! Our meal was lovely and the wait staff was first rate.

Tapas del Mar (Schnabelgasse 2, 4051 Basel, Switzerland, +41 61 261

Top L to R: Menu, Water, Shrimp, Brownie
Bottom L to R: Mushrooms, Hot Moroccan
Love

99 34): ‘Small dishes from all over Spain combine with wines & other drinks in this cozy, laid-back hangout.’ What a great find! This little place was just up the hill from the Hotel Basel and had a very good menu. My favorite was the Hot Moroccan Love; it’s apricots in a warm sweet sauce with almonds and whipped cream. I wish I had some right now!

Three and one-half carrots

Bäckerei Mock (Ackerstrasse 60, 4057 Basel, Switzerland, +41 61 322 34 00) is one of the two bakeries we enjoyed in Basel. It gets the rating it

L to R: Chocolate croissant, Bakery

does because the seating is thoroughly uncomfortable; and yes, I know you’re supposed to grab and go but they do have tables. The coffee, along with the chocolate croissants was very tasty. The baked goods are huge, so getting only one a piece was a good idea. This is counter service, but the lady behind the counter did bring us our coffee. If you want a knife and fork you need to ask for it.

Confiserie Bachmann (Centralbahnpl. 7, 4051 Basel, Switzerland, +41

Chocolate croissant

61 271 26 27) also has uncomfortable seating, but oh my, the baked goods!

What we did:

The historic part of Basel is easily walkable, so we spent a lot of time

L to R: Painted wall, Wisteria covering door

doing just that. The architecture, outdoor art, and walkways are lovely, keeping us entranced for most of our time here. There are oodles of fountains, each one having a different history and meaning, but with little or no information about them readily available.

Four carrots

Basel Card (https://www.basel.com/en/BaselCard) comes with your hotel

L to R: Sundial, Carved column

room and is a great deal! It includes transportation as well as free or reduced entrance to the museums. Read the card carefully! You have to visit the two Kunstmuseums on the same day to get the discounted rate.

Kunstmuseum Basel (St. Alban-Graben 16, 4051 Basel, Switzerland, +41 61 206 62 62) and the Kunstmuseum Neubau (St. Alban-Graben

Top L to R: Dali, Picasso, Renoir
Bottom: Rodin

20, 4052 Basel, Switzerland, +41 61 206 62 62) are the two associated museums. They are absolutely wonderful! Their collections run the gambit from medieval to modern art. Several of my favorite artists were represented: Rodin, Renoir, Picasso, Dali, Van Gogh, and many others. There were also quite a few artists with whom I was unfamiliar, but we enjoyed their works, as well.

University of Basel Botanic Gardens (HH5J+JM Basel, Switzerland,

Top L to R: University wall, Bird of Paradise
Greenhouses
Bottom L to R: Pitcher plant, Lizard,
Red bloom

+41 61 207 35 19) were absolutely lovely. I was surprised at the variety of plants represented in theses gardens. We spent a good deal of time in the greenhouses admiring the orchids. There were also some interesting water plants, and a cute little lizard camouflaged in an air fern.

Three and one-half carrots

Rathaus Basel-Stadt (HH5Q+78 Basel, Switzerland, +41 61 267 81 81) was not at all what I expected. At first I thought it was the city market; the

Interior and exterior images of the Town Hall

market does set up in front of it, which added to my confusion. The inside was as colorful as the outside, with several murals and lots of carvings. We spent quite a bit of time wandering about, climbing the stairs to the second level, and staying out of the rain. It was quite worth the visit.

L to R: Two of the numerous churches

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