Basel

Münsterhügel to the Rheinschwimmen over two Basel days

Basel fits into two days. Give the first to the old town on the left bank, from Marktplatz and the Rathaus to the Kunstmuseum and the Münster. Use the second for the Fondation Beyeler in Riehen and the Museum Tinguely, and in summer finish with a swim down the Rhine.

Day one, morning. Start on Marktplatz while the stalls are out, then step inside the courtyard of the red Rathaus to see its painted walls. Climb the Spalenberg lanes to the Spalentor, one of the surviving gates of the old walls. Walk back down through the university quarter to the Kunstmuseum and give it at least two hours: Holbein, Böcklin and a strong modern wing across the road.

Afternoon. Head to the Münster, climb one of its towers and then stand on the Pfalz terrace. Take the Münsterfähre across the river; the ferryman steers using only the current.

Evening. Eat in Kleinbasel and walk the Rheinpromenade as the sun drops behind the cathedral.

Day two. Ride tram 6 out to Riehen for the Fondation Beyeler, whose garden runs into open fields near the German border. Back in town, walk along the river to the Museum Tinguely. If it is summer, end the day as Basel does: change by the Mittlere Brücke, seal everything in a swim bag and let the Rhine carry you downstream. Tram 8 to Weil am Rhein makes a short extra if you want to see the Vitra Campus buildings.

Läckerli, Mehlsuppe and buvettes by the water

Basel's best-known sweet is the Basler Läckerli, a hard spiced honey biscuit with candied peel, sold in tins all over the old town and a sensible gift to carry home. Bakeries also stock savoury Wähe, flat tarts topped with onion, cheese or seasonal fruit, which make a cheap lunch in an expensive city.

At Fasnacht the food changes. Mehlsuppe, a brown flour soup, is served through the night after the Morgestraich alongside Zwiebelwähe and Käsewähe. Restaurants in the old town stay open around the clock for those three days.

For daily eating, Kleinbasel is the better hunting ground: Turkish, Italian and Thai places line the streets back from the river, and the summer buvettes along the Rheinpromenade sell drinks and simple food right by the water. The Marktplatz market is good for fruit, bread and cheese for a picnic on the riverbank.

Prices are high by European standards, so many locals shop across the border in Weil am Rhein or Saint-Louis. Tipping is not expected; rounding up is enough. Ask about cards before you sit down in smaller places.

Morgestraich, Art Basel and the Herbstmesse through the year

Visit in summer for river swimming and Art Basel in June, or in February or early March for Fasnacht, which starts at 4am on the Monday after Ash Wednesday and lasts 72 hours. The Herbstmesse arrives in late October, and rainy May makes a good museum month.

Fasnacht begins at 4am on the Monday after Ash Wednesday, usually in February or early March, and lasts exactly 72 hours. Expect cold nights, with February averaging 8C by day and 1C at night. UNESCO lists it as intangible cultural heritage, and it is a local affair: watch, listen and do not join the cliques uninvited.

Spring is changeable. April averages 16C and May 20C, but May is also one of the wettest months at about 98mm, which makes it a good museum month.

Summer is the river season. July and August reach 25 to 26C, and the Rhine is busy with swimmers from late June. Art Basel takes over the Messe Basel halls each June; even if you never enter the fair, its satellite shows and parties fill the city that week.

Autumn brings the Herbstmesse from late October into November, one of the oldest fairs in Switzerland, with rides on Barfüsserplatz and Petersplatz and stalls selling roasted chestnuts. In December the Christmas market sets up on Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz, with highs around 6C.