Basel

Being part of Erasmus, our student network (ESN) organized a group visit to Basel. However I was in Rome this weekend and could not go, which was very gutting considering the Christmas market was on and it looked incredible. Luckily for me, my friend Pippa hadn’t gone either, so we decided to buy a Carte Journalière (daily travel pass) and planned a trip to Basel.

We took a train at 10AM, just after my lesson at uni. The train from Geneva to Basel took around 2h40, but time seemed to fly by as we spent a lot of time planning our itinerary. There seemed to be so many interesting things to see so precise planning was essential.

Arrived in Basel, we went to the information desk to get a map and gather a little bit of information before setting on our journey. There is one, almost straight road that connects the station to the main shopping street called Elisabethenstrasse. We walked down this road about 10, 15 minutes before reaching Freie Strasse. There are two important things to note out on this little walk. The first is Elisabethenkirche, a prime example of neo gothic architecture of Switzerland in the nineteenth century. The second thing to note is the Theater Basel situated just behind the gothic cathedral.

What we noticed when walking around is the prominent germanic influence in Basel's architecture. Even though the city has a lot of history dating back hundreds of years, Basel is famous for its modern and contemporary architecture. Recently, many architects have reconstructed Basel into "modern Basel". I must admit I am not the biggest fan of dark buildings but somehow here it works; Basel has some stunning buildings I could not stop photographing.

Arrived in the main shopping street, Freie Strasse, I was actually surprised by how many shops there were. It certainly feels bigger than Berne; It was so beautiful, as i went during Christmas time the city was filled with lights and decorations, which added a special touch to our trip.

From here we turned right up Münsterberg and found ourselves in Münsterplatz, home to the magnificent Basler Münster. This cathedral will stunn you from the first glimpse: It's red colour is so bold and the intricate details in the gothic architecture is really something special and unique. Behind the cathedral there is a perfect spot for a photo; however when i went the weather was quite grey and misty therefore my photo looks slightly dull but it is still a great view of the Altstadt Kleinbasel, which is the old part of Basel across the river.

Next to the cathedral there was a little Christmas market with amazing looking food and little attractions for children - It was such a beautiful atmosphere.

From here we went on a little walk down Augustinergasse which becomes Rheinsprung until reaching the famous thirteenth century bridge: Mittlere Brücke. This would be a good place to cross if you wanted to go over to the Kleinbasel, however we turned left and walked up Eisengasse. I spotted my favorite stationary shop in the world: Bookbinders design. They had a journal i swear was designed for me; It was engraved on the front with "Remember all your journeys and they will last forever". I still need to order this online as I need it in my life. Anyway we walked up and followed the road around until we reached Marktplatz. This square is home to the landmark of Basel: Rathaus.

We had a look around the Rathaus, which is an incredibly ornated town council. I could not stop taking photos; the bold red colour was so unique and beautiful. From the Rathaus we walked up hutgasse and consequently up spalenberg. Then we got lost. Because our intentions were to go to the Spalentor tower, but instead of turning right at the top of spalenberg, we turned left which was not such a negative because we got to see some beautiful little houses. If you want to get a feel for real Basel architecture then go up Heuberg and have a little stroll around. But do not forget to go back to the Spalentor as it is an important monument that must be seen and acknowledged as it is the only one out of the three gates entering the old city that survived.

After being wowed by all this incredible architecture and history it was time to hit the Christmas market and go and have some Raclette and hot dogs. On our way down though we could not help but stop in the Cupcake Affair Café. In the window they had a variety of little cupcakes that were too delicious to not try. So we went in, waited a few minutes for a table to free and ordered some hot christmassy drinks and a cupcake. I had a chai latte with a brownie cupcake whilst my friend chose a hot chocolate and a caramel cupcake.

Our final stop was the Christmas market which was based in Barfüsserplatz. It was magical, so many shining lights and people; You could really feel the Christmas spirit as elf would say. We wandered around all the stalls which were filled with homemade candles, creams, knitted accessories. Then we got to the food part of the market and thought that a gigantic hot dog was absolutely necessary. However it was freezing - so wrap up warm!

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