Places

1. Tinguely Museum
Paul Sacher-Anlage 2, Basel

 

The Tinguely bears the same name as the Swiss painter and sculptor the museum is dedicated to, Jean Tinguely. The gallery is located in Solitude Park, facing the Rhine; it was designed by architect Mario Botta from Ticino and has been open to the public since October 3rd 1996, more than twenty years ago. The sculptures belonging to the artist – bestowed by his wife Niki de Saint Phalle – belong to the permanent collection along with illustrations, photos and other kind of documents related to his life and work.
•  www.tinguely.ch

 

 

2. Flea Market
Uferstrasse, Basel

 

The city of Basel is renowned for its numerous colorful flea markets and car boot sales. In Petersplatz, every saturday morning Basel comes alive with color of the market stalls and second-hand objects, from rare antiques to clothes for the little ones. Here you can find anything and everything you would need for everyday life, at a discount price. The most attentive and daring visitors know where to go to find what they are looking for. Petersplatz is certainly the right place to find  a bargain.
•  www.basel.com

 

3. Bird’s Eye Jazz Club
Kohlenberg 20, Basel

 

The Bird’s Eye jazz club in Kohlenberg has a reputation for being one of the best jazz venues in Europe, attracting a constant and faithful flow of lovers of the genre. It is a small intimate club, with perfect acoustics, hosting the best international jazz interpreters five nights a week. Bird’s Eye is also open to young talents and welcomes many locals and national acts. The venue also hosts several jazz workshops which often attract a younger crowd.
•  www.birdseye.ch

 

 

4. Set&Sekt
Rümelinspl 5, Basel

 

Inaugurated in 2007, Set&Sket is a concept store that, according to its website, “Offers a selection of merchandise from young or well-established designers.” The store of owner Corinne Grüter has an aspirational core, merging fashion and culture. The stands display shoe selections, men’s and women’s apparel, jewelry, books and prestigious magazines. The merchandise is presented on concrete hanging cubes. To emphasize the charm of the array, there’s a lacquered steel sculpture made by Andreas Bründler, which serves also as a bar.
•  www.setandsekt.com

 

 

5. Old Town
47°3330N 7°3518E

 

History speaks loud and clear in every corner of Basel’s Old Town. Many buildings date back to the fifteenth century and comfortably stand next to the projects of famous international architects. The historical quarter of the city is enjoyable on foot, visitors can follow the blue symbols along the road to discover the hidden treasures. St. Albans is a true hot spot, this is where visitors can make the most out of the best of Basel museums and culture. Steinenberg – the cinema, theatre and entertainment quarter – is well known for Art Basel, one of the largest contemporary art events in the world.
•  www.basel.com

 

 

6. Fondation Beyeler
Baselstrasse 101, Basel 

 

Standing out on the Baselstrasse, the collection of art dealer and collector Ernst Beyeler – which took over 50 years to collect – is open all year round. Fondation Beyeler was its founder’s answer to the wishes of the citizens of the city to move his collection to a new museum, eventually designed from scratch by Renzo Piano. The collection features sculptures from every continent in the world, including Monet’s water lilies. Piano designed a peculiar rooftop in order to maximize the diffusion of light within the Fondation through mobile workings.

•  www.fondationbeyeler.ch 

1. Photography Sascha Steinbach/Getty Images
6. Photography Mark Niedermann