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Basel

Travel Guide Europe Switzerland Basel

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Introduction

Basel

Basel is the third biggest city in Switzerland, and an agreeable place to spend a few days.

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Sights and Activities

Day Trips

Less than an hour away by train through the southern Black Forest and into Germany is the lovely historic city of Freiburg.

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Events and Festivals

Basler Fastnacht

The Basler Fastnacht is one of the more memorable Carnival/Mardi Gras celebrations in the world. It has none of the timeless elegance of the Venice Carnival or the drunken and baudy cheer of the Cologne Carnival, instead it is rougher and the masks are more likely to give you nightmares. And unlike in the Carnival in Venice or Cologne there is a strict separation between participants and onlookers, only participants will wear masks and costumes. The Fastnacht is essentially pagan folk figures and practises for driving away the winter dressed with a tiny fig leaf of Christianity. The feast is held annually and lasts for about 3 days, exact dates vary according to the date of Easter. Basler Fastnacht is held about a week later than the Carnival in Venice and Cologne.

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Weather

The summers in Basel last from June to September with average highs between 21 °C and 24 °C and lows between 11 °C and 13 °C. Winters from December to February see average highs between 3 °C and 6 °C and lows just below zero. Precipitation average almost 800 mm a year, with some more rain between May and August, the other months being slightly drier.

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Getting There

By Plane

EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (IATA: BSL) is the only airport in Europe that is jointly operated by three countries. It is located entirely on French soil, but has excellent connections to Basel (in fact, much better than to farther-away Mulhouse and Freiburg).
Although the airport is on French soil, there is a special Swiss customs area connected to Basel by a border road.

The airport receives flights from all major European airports, a few intercontinental flights and numerous smaller cities in Europe. Easyjet flies to/from Berlin, London, Porto, Alicante, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Cagliari, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Istanbul, Lisbon, Madrid, Málaga, Marrakech, Naples, Nice, Olbia, Palma de Mallorca and Rome. Places served further away include Algiers, Montreal, Istanbul and Reykjavik, though most cities are located in central, western and southern Europe.

The airports connects to the A3 Motorway. Basel's BVB bus No. 50 connects the Swiss sector of the airport to the Bahnhof SBB, which is the main Swiss and French railway station in Basel. French Distribus bus No. 11 connects the French sector of the airport to the Saint-Louis railway station.

By Train

Basel SBB is the station where long-distance trains from Germany and Italy, and local connections to France pass through. The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS) has trains to other destinations in Switzerland.

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Drink

Lesbian & Gay Basel

Basel is vibrant at night, and the queer scene opens up as night falls as well, although mostly on the German side of the Rhein.

On Tuesday nights check out Zisch-Bar in der Kaserne at Klybeckstrasse 1b
Every other evening, your best bet is the café/bar/lounge elle et lui at Rebgasse 39

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Sleep

Budget

Property	Address	Type	Popularity
Basel Back Pack	Dornacherstrasse 192	Hostel	87
Best Western Hotel Stücki	Badenstrasse 1	Hotel	90
YMCA Hostel Basel	Gempenstrasse 64	Hostel	89
Youthhostel Basel	St. Alban-Kirchrain 10	Hostel	87
B&B Casa Romantica	Rüttiweg 8 (Arlesheim / Basel)	Guesthouse	-
B&B im St. Johann	Davidsbodenstrasse 8	Apartment	91
Hotel Balade	Klingental 8	Hotel	-

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Learn

Basel University

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Keep Connected

Phone

Post

Swiss Post is the national postal service of Switzerland and has fast and reliable services. For more information about prices to send postcards, letters and parcels, both domestically as well as internationally, they have a very useful Price Calculator. Domestically, there is priority mail (arriving the following day) and economy mail which takes 2-3 days to be send within Switzerland. Stamps can be bought at the post offices or from shops and kiosks that also sell postcards. In general, post offices are open from 8:00am to noon and 2:00pm to 5:00 or 6:00pm, with a lunchbreak in between. Opening times on Saturdays are usually only during mornings. Larger cities and central post offices might keep longer hours and skp the lunchbreak.

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