Dreiländereck, Westquaistrasse 75, Basel
“The point at which Germany, France and Switzerland converge and boats sail off towards the North Sea is a unique meeting place for three countries, languages and cultures.”
The photography in this post is also credited to my travel companions who take as many, if not more, photos than I… the challenge was choosing which to include!
This trip, inspired by the Basel Christmas Markets and made reality courtesy of MN friends Melissa and Erin (whose spouses also work for IKEA Sweden) came together quite suddenly when we chanced upon cheap tickets. It was a very busy time for all, so we hadn’t researched much about this small Swiss city on the Rhein river and it was a nice change to learn about it in the moment. I think we all agree that another visit is in order now that we know how much there is to do!
We arrived in the evening and settled in at the Airbnb, a real gem not far from the historic center. Basel Tourism supplies hosts with the Basel Card, giving us access to free public transit and discounts on museums etc. We jumped right in with an evening stroll and then planned for the following day.
The next day we ventured out on the tram to the Fondation Beyeler museum (one of 40 in Basel!) bordering Germany. It offers a self-guided walking tour with 24 marked stops along the path, which ends on the German side of the river at Weil am Rhein.
After exploring Weil we rested over coffee and treats at Cafe Fritz. I learned later that Black Forest Cake is a local specialty since the Black Forest lies just north of Weil, but instead I enjoyed a rhubarb custard pie which was similar to, though not quite as good as, German kuchen made by a family friend, Corraine.
The next day we focused on the Christmas Markets and had a guided tour of Basel. The tour was well paced and very informative, leaving us just enough time to peruse the Markets before they became unbearably crowded. By then we were ready for a quiet night at the apartment. The food was good and we had lots of treats at the market as well including apple donuts, raclette, and of course Glühvin, mulled wine in souvenir cups.
We spent Sunday at the museum of Fine Art, did a bit more shopping, enjoyed some more delicious food and headed to the airport. All three of us managed to get our purchases home without paying for extra luggage. Another great long-weekend adventure!
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