The Cultural Capital of Switzerland
Finally, after a very busy week, I arrive at the last destination of the route: Basel, so I enter Switzerland once more. I think that the Basel is the perfect ending to this long route along the Rhine, since it is located right on the border between the three countries I have visited during my stay: France, Germany, and Switzerland; in addition to the fact that paradoxically it is the only place I visit that directly crosses the Rhine. Here German is spoken with a Swiss dialect, but as result of having part of the city spread out through France French is also heard, so it's the perfect mix to end the route!
I come from Strasbourg and having passed through Colmar in the same day, which I think conditions me to see Basel as a much colder city. I have become used to the colourful little houses of Alsace and its more picturesque and small-town atmosphere; it contrasts a lot with the big city vibes of Basel. In fact, it is the third largest in Switzerland, after Geneva and as you enter there is a sign calling the city: Kulturhauptstadt der Schweiz (Cultural Capital of Switzerland), due to its large number of museums.
I start this last tour by infiltrating in a group of German tourists into whom I am repeatedly bumped and whose guide I think will show me the city very well, in addition to the fact that it is going to be good way to practice German. According to what she explains, the old part of the city can be divided into two parts: the oldest and closest to the river that is located on a small hill and has a rather village atmosphere, and the one that surrounds it with many shops and more activity and where the tour begins. It reminds me of Barcelona's Passeig de Gràcia, evidently with the local style. Suddenly, the guide takes a detour to go to the Lohnhof, an area a little higher up and where all of a sudden, the houses get small again. Undoubtedly, the town hall stands out a lot for its strong redness and it is the best thing to see in the area, since most of the historic buildings in the city are white, which in fact is what gives it a rather cold atmosphere. In this beautiful Rathaus square I see a stall where pretzels of different and original flavours are being sold, and I don't want to lose the group, so I order a Cheddarbrezel as my lunch.
REMEMBER THAT THE PICTURES ARE HERE: https://online.fliphtml5.com/gcicy/flti/
We arrive at the banks of the Rhine, and I see it way wider considering that we are very close to its source and very far from its ending. From the bridge, there are magnificent views of the old town and at the same time it is also quite shocking to be able to see three different countries from the same point at the same time. Then, we get into the real little old town of the city, and it has nothing to do with the previous big buildings. Above all, I would highlight the great cathedral with a cloister and an inner network of corridors full of paintings.
It didn't take us long to see the tiny old town and unfortunately, I lose sight of the guide while taking photos, so I decide to go to the other bridge of the city in order to see it from another perspective. While doing so, I find some nice corners, but mostly what I see the most are bicycles. Everyone rides a bike, no matter if it rained a while ago or the streets’ unevenness. I even come across a municipal counter of the actual number of bicycles being ride in the city where it says "Jedes Velo zählt", the fact that they use a French word to refer to bicycles sums up quite well this crossroads of countries that is Basel.
REMEMBER THAT THE PICTURES ARE HERE: https://online.fliphtml5.com/gcicy/flti/
I don't know if it's because I've been walking around beautiful places for a whole week, but in Basel I'm hardly surprised by anything anymore, I've reached a point where I've normalized being surrounded by so much beauty too much to the point of not valuing it as how I appreciated any building I saw on the first day in Geneva; it's time to go home! If you have read this far, I hope that you have enjoyed joining me in this experience and that it has helped you to discover new places to go to. The area of the Rhine basin is huge, very diverse and with a lot to offer. I've only visited part of its beginning, so it's already a good preview or sneak-peek of everything that is left to be seen. Thank you so much!
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