[Europe Trip #1] Basel Switzerland sightseeing | one night two day trip through the old town Rhine River and three country border spots 🇨🇭

You can read about my previous trip to Milan in Italy below.

This time I am heading from Milan to Basel in Switzerland.

I traveled by bus.
It is about six hours from Milan to Basel, which is quite a distance.

Even though it was a long trip, the scenery of Switzerland from the bus was very beautiful. When mountains and greenery came into view, I felt like I was getting closer to Switzerland and I got a little excited during the ride.

At a rest stop along the way the air was clear and it calmed me down.
When traveling in Europe it is interesting how the feel of the air changes from town to town, and Switzerland especially left a strong impression of clean air.

Why I went to Basel

I went to Basel because a Filipino friend I met in Uzbekistan lives there and we decided to meet again after a long time.

Meeting someone you met while traveling and reuniting in another country makes you feel glad you travel.

I planned to spend only three nights in Switzerland including Basel and Bern.
Many people had told me Switzerland is very expensive in Europe so I got a bit intimidated. haha

I stayed one night at my friend’s place in Basel.
They said I could stay two nights but I felt bad about imposing so I kept it to one.

Arriving in Basel in the evening: the supermarket and the tram

In the evening we arrived in Basel and my friend came to pick me up.

We went straight to a nearby supermarket, and water and such did not feel as expensive as I expected.
Sorry, I forgot the exact price. haha

Eating out and transport are expensive, but depending on what you buy, drinks and light groceries from the supermarket may not be something to fear.

We used the tram to get to my friend’s place (I forgot to take photos).

The tram is convenient in Basel and runs in fine detail across the city. Riding a tram in a European city always lifts my travel mood a bit.

Normally you buy a regular one way ticket, but if you ride three times or more it seems better to buy a day ticket.
Compared with other European countries I have visited, it did feel a bit expensive.

Depending on where you stay there may be benefits for visitors using public transport, so if you stay at a hotel it may be good to check in advance. The official tourism site also says the BaselCard for hotel guests makes public transport free.

Dinner at my friend’s place and a night walk in Basel

My friend said they would cook so I happily accepted.

Home cooked meals while traveling feel different from eating out.
Considering Swiss prices it felt even more valuable. haha

After arriving home and eating dinner we went out for a walk.

It was already night so the shops and Christmas market were closed, but walking through a European city at night still feels great.

Lit up buildings, cobblestone streets and a slightly quiet old town.
The atmosphere is different from the daytime and it is fun just to walk.

Along the way there was the occasional smell of leaves, so do not be too surprised. haha

Night walk route: Wettstein Bridge, Basel Minster, Spalentor

That night we crossed the Wettstein Bridge, visited Basel Minster and passed by Spalentor.

Wettstein Bridge and the Rhine River

The Wettstein Bridge is a large bridge over the Rhine River.

The city of Basel feels like it lives with the Rhine, and just looking at the river and cityscape from the bridge feels good.

In summer there is a culture of swimming along the current of the Rhine. The official tourism site introduces how people put their clothes into a special waterproof bag called Wickelfisch and swim downstream while looking at the old town scenery.

If you visit Basel in summer, check it out if the timing fits.

Basel Minster

Basel Minster is a symbolic landmark of Basel.

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Its red sandstone exterior and two towers stand out and you naturally see it while walking the old town.
It is said to have more than one thousand years of history and is one of the best places to feel the history of Basel.

Because it was night we could not go inside, but it still had a strong presence from the outside.

If you go in the daytime it may be nice to see the interior, the courtyard and the area overlooking the Rhine River.

Spalentor

Spalentor is a huge city gate from old Basel.

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It is said to be one of the most beautiful city gates in Switzerland, and seeing it up close it has a heavy and imposing feel.

After the major earthquake in 1356, bigger fortifications were built and Spalentor was built as part of them.
The 1356 Basel earthquake is known as one of the biggest earthquakes in Central Europe.

It was closed at night, but if you visit it is recommended to go in the daytime along with an old town walk.
For photos, step back a little to capture the whole gate and its power.

After walking around the city, day one was over.
We went back to my friend’s home and slept.

Day two morning walk in Basel: to Dreiländereck in light rain

On day two I would take a train to Bern after lunchtime, so I started walking from the morning.

It was drizzling.
European cities in the rain are a bit dark and cold, but the wet cobblestones shine and it has atmosphere.

The first place we headed was Dreiländereck.

Dreiländereck: where Switzerland, France and Germany meet

Basel is a border city where Switzerland, France and Germany are within walking distance.

Dreiländereck is a monument at the spot where the three countries meet.
The official tourism site introduces it as a place where three countries, languages and cultures meet.

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France and Germany were just a stone’s throw away.
I had not seen a border area like that before so it felt strange.

When you hear border you imagine a big gate and a strict atmosphere, but in reality it felt like another country is just an extension of daily life.
For someone from an island nation it was very fresh.

Basel also seems to have many immigrants and around thirty percent of residents are said to be immigrants.
Walking through the city you feel that people with many different backgrounds live there.

According to my friend, because Switzerland is expensive, there is a money saving trick where people enter Germany on their day off, buy daily goods for a week, and bring them back to Switzerland.

It makes sense, if you can go to another country on foot or by tram, to live like that.
It is a border town lifestyle.

To Basel Town Hall: the vivid red exterior is striking

After that we took the tram to Basel Town Hall.

Basel Town Hall is one of the most famous buildings in Basel.
It is in the Market Square at the center of the old town.

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The vivid red exterior is striking and very eye catching.
It was built from 1504 to 1514 after Basel joined the Swiss Confederation and it has a long history.

The outside is beautiful, and the inner courtyard also has decorations such as murals and is very elegant.
European town halls feel like the city’s history and pride are expressed directly in the building and it is interesting to see.

The area around Market Square has people and is a good place to feel the atmosphere of Basel.

To a cafe for matcha latte

After seeing the town hall time was running out.

I did not have many places I absolutely wanted to go, so we went to a cafe my friend likes for matcha latte.

We visited

DANISKA | Specialty Coffee & Matcha | Kleinbasel

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It was a small, calm cafe and I ordered a matcha latte.

The matcha warmed and relaxed me.
Drinking a matcha latte in the middle of a Europe trip made me think of Japan a little.

In an expensive city like Basel, rather than packing in many tourist spots, I felt it is nice to spend relaxed time in a cafe with a friend.

From Basel station to Bern

After that we went back to my friend’s home to pick up my luggage and took the tram to Basel station.

I bought the ticket to Bern in advance from the SBB site.
The price from Basel to Bern was 25.20 CHF.

The SBB official site is here.

SBB is a site you often use for train travel within Switzerland, so it is convenient to check it in advance. On the official site you can buy public transport tickets and search timetables within Switzerland.

I said goodbye to my friend who came to see me off and got on the train.

For some reason there were hardly any passengers.
I had imagined Swiss trains would be more crowded so it was a little surprising.

And just like that, my busy one night trip in Basel was over before I knew it.

Summary: Basel is a Rhine border city you can enjoy even with little time

This stay in Basel was only one night and honestly quite short.

Even so, the scenery while entering Switzerland from Milan, the reunion with my friend, walking the old town at night, the Rhine River, Basel Minster, Spalentor, Dreiländereck, Basel Town Hall and even the matcha latte made the time richer than I expected.

I think Basel is less of a flashy tourist city and more a city where you gradually feel the charm as you walk.
It has the feel of a border town where Switzerland, France and Germany are close by, and the atmosphere felt a little different from other European cities.

Prices are indeed high, but you can enjoy the feel of the city even with one night or half a day.
Basel is recommended for people traveling from Milan toward Switzerland or stopping by on the way to Bern or Zurich.

Personally, next time I want to visit in summer and take a slow walk along the Rhine, and if the timing fits I want to see the culture of swimming in the river.

Even though it was a short stay, thanks to my friend I felt like I got to touch a small part of life in Basel beyond sightseeing.

Next I will head to Bern.