I am amazed it’s February already! It’s time for another break, don’t you think? We are well over the Christmas celebrations; dry January and the New Year are right on track.

Funny how we always try to run to sunny places in the winter. Let’s enjoy what the beauty of winter has to offer on our doorstep. Basel is a city that is joyful in the summer and, as I found out, in the winter, too. I went back to Basel last December, and it was as beautiful as it was in the summer! It’s very festive; Basel knows how to do Christmas! More about that later. Read about my Summer trip : weekend in Basel

Basel is considered the most important cultural centre of Switzerland. I discovered that is a fantastic winter city, with impressive museums, galleries, exhibitions, and lots of good food and excellent Swiss wines, which are not easy to find outside the country.

This city’s location couldn’t be more idyllic; the river Rhine runs through it, and It’s nestled between Zurich and Lucerne. Germany and France are within easy reach, making it the perfect location to settle and explore this part of Europe.

It couldn’t be easier to get around the place.The transport is plentiful, clean and accessible. Also, amazingly, it’s free for visitors with a free mobility ticket that you get in the hotel or tourist office on arrival. Exploring this town is straightforward.

Fantastic places to Eat in Basel

Last December I went to several places, I thoroughly enjoyed going to dinner in Basel.  Here are my three very different gastronomic experience I recommend:

Fine dining: Restaurant Rubino in Basel

I just loved this place. From the outside, it looks like a house, apart from the big sign above the door. Inside, the decor is simple – an understated elegance. The real fun starts with the menu full of surprises!

The chef, Manuela Buser, creates extraordinary meals, and you have a choice of vegetarian, meat or fish dishes and two, three, four or five courses. There’s an option to add the wine pairing flight.

The surprise is that you don’t know what you are going to eat; you see there’s no menu. It’s a gastronomic adventure, which I enjoyed – a lot! It has super-friendly service and great food. Reservations are recommended: This place is full every night.

Some of the dishes of the evening:
chestnut and ginger soup, kale, cottage cheese and gremolata
Octopus carpaccio, bottarga and black olives
Black risotto, brussel sprouts, strawberries and local spicy cheese
Creme Brulee
Pumpkin sorbet
Molten chocolate cake
date mousse

 

£££
Rubino Restaurant
Luftgässlein 1, 4051 Basel
Phone +41 61 333 77 70
info@rubino-basel.ch
Opening hours:
Tuesday – Saturday 6 p.m. to 11.30 p.m.
Sunday & Monday closed.

Local and fabulous: Restaurant Eintracht in Basel

You must make a reservation before you come to this place; luckily, we got a table for dinner. The dining room was full and family party kind of vibe. It was delightful and noisy. The food was freshly prepared with Swiss ingredients when possible. The portions are very generous. It’s a no-frills and rustic presentation. I like this place because it was off the beaten path, and we were the only foreigners! Fantastic!

Eintracht

Oetlingerstrasse 64,

4057 Basel, Switzerland

Stylish Cafe: 1777 Kaffee in Basel old town

After walking around town and taking in all the beauty and fresh winter air, a stop at 1777 Kaffee is a must. The very stylish urban cafe is serving delicious and unpretentious food and great coffee and wines too! It is located in the center of Basel’s Old Town, on the historic Schmiedenhof Square.
The innovative menu offers salads and baguettes and a simple dish of the day at lunchtime. From the menu, guests create their own baguettes or salads or choose from one of the classics. They are known for 1777-burger and their pastrami sandwich. This place is super cool!

£
1777 Kaffee
Im Schmiedenhof 10,
4001 Basel, Switzerland

 

Guided Tours

I am a fan of guided tours; If you never been to a place and have limited time it is a good idea to get yourself on a guided tour; it not only saves time but also we learned a lot more about the place you are visiting. For more information on guided tours around the city head to : Basel.com

 

Christmas Market in Basel

If you go to Basel between the end of November and 23 December, you will find the whole town festively dressed and an enormous Christmas Market. There’s something for everybody. It’s beautiful, and it will put you right in the Christmas spirit; it’s highly recommended!

Something Cultural: Fondation Beyeler just outside Basel

A short ride (30 minutes) from Basel on a tram, the Fondation Beyeler is well worth the travel. The building is a work of art in itself; it connects architecture, art, and nature.

Fondation Beyeler is one of the world’s most beautiful art museums. It was founded in 1997 by Ernst Beyeler and his wife Hildy, who owned an antiquarian bookshop in the 50’s. Ernst and Hildy Beyeler assembled a collection of beautiful fine works of classical modernism over a 50-year span. The collection transformed into a foundation in 1982, and in 1989, it was publicly exhibited for the first time in its entirety at the Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid. The collection won international acclaim, and the collector couple went on to expand it with great care.

The Paul Klee exhibition was running when I visited the Fondation last December. It was a delightful two hours. The Foundation Beyeler is genuinely spectacular, with interacting art; some rooms have a connection with the lush exterior greenery, and the whole space has a sense of space. Visitors never feel crowded.

You can buy tickets for the exhibitions at the museum or online in advance, to avoid queuing at the ticket office.

F ondation Beyeler

Baselstrasse 101
CH-4125 Riehen/Basel
Phone +41 61 645 97 00
Fax +41 61 645 97 19
E-mail: info@fondationbeyeler.ch

Open every day – please check in advance!
Monday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

More information on Basel:   Basel.com

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Disclosure : I was a guest of Basel Tourism on this press trip.