After you disembark your Amsterdam to Basel river cruise, there is an opportunity to explore this second biggest city in Switzerland. Part modern, part old world charm, Basel is in northern Switzerland along the Rhine River. The town of Basel is split into two distinct areas. The right bank is mainly a residential area, where the grossbasel, or left bank, contains the old town.
If you happen to begin or end your cruise in mid-July in Basel, be sure to attend the Military Tattoo. It’s only 2nd in size and budget to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The Tattoo was started in 2006, it now features military bands from around the world and hosts more than 200,000 people.
Basel is also known for its medieval and renaissance gabled houses, theatres and concert halls. There is a lovely 18th century square (Munsterplatz), featuring a 12th century Gothic Munster (cathedral). Some of the cathedrals date from 1031 and were the seat of prince-bishops who ruled the German imperial city.
A visit to the Kunstmuseum, one of the most prestigious art institutions in Europe is a must. Kunstmuseum has one of the largest art collections in Switzerland. According to Museen Basel, the Kunstmuesum showcases Flemish paintings, a collection of works by the Holbein family, Rennaisance collections, as well as works by Van Gogh, Gaugin, Cezanne, and cubist paintings by Picasso, Braque and Leger. There are also German expressionist paintings on display.
If you have a few additional days, Switzerland is a great country to explore by train and you can cover the whole country in a few days. From Basel, it is a short train ride to Interlaken, which is a great starting point for several high mountain adventures – climbing the mountains by various modes of transportation – such as trains, cable cars and cog trains. The view from the top of these mountains is breath taking. Taking a scenic train is a great treat and there are also 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 day escorted bus tours of the country.
The country is so clean and the air so fresh that it makes you feel good. The Swiss are a friendly group of people and English is spoken everywhere. You do not have the crime in this country that can be found in some other countries. There is nothing in Switzerland that would discourage most from visiting this beautiful country. This beautiful, mountainous country is the heart of Europe and you can’t miss visiting it as it remains one of the most popular travel destinations on the planet.