Top Rated Attractions in Basel

The expansion of the city in the 19th century meant the end of the medieval walls and its seven entrances. However, the most beautiful of them, the Spalentor, remains. Erected in the 14th century, this gate still possesses a very impressive oak portcullis. Just inside lies a copy of the city's customs decree of 1795, a great piece of history. The gate is adorned with beautiful glass tiles and 15th-century figures. The originals can be viewed in the Museum of History.

Anatomisches Museum at the University of Basel was set up by Carl Gustav Jung is a unique place to be. If you are a student of medicine and are looking for a detailed study into the anatomical structure of man, this is the place for you. Special exhibits and temporary collections take you through a detailed tour of the human body. Check website for more details on current and upcoming events.

Dating back to 1867, the City of Basel Music Academy is a renowned musical institution specializing in classical music and providing a healthy and competitive environment for talented students to nurture their skills. Associated with the University of Applied Sciences Northwest Switzerland, it has housed a number of notable alumni and teachers over the years with names like Hans Huber, Hans Munch, Werner Güra, Nuria Rial and many others. It provides musical education at all levels and also a center for research and performance.

The former Museum of Folklore is now the Cultural Museum, and is the largest and most important of its kind in Switzerland. People from far and wide are placed under the microscope at Museum der Kulturen. Their ways of life, cultures and much more are presented to the visitor in close-up. Workshops, tours and lectures also aid this task. They've collected quite a few treasures over the last hundred odd years. The South Sea and Old America exhibits are world famous, but the wood panels from a Mayan temple in Guatemala are undoubtedly a highpoint. All the temporary exhibitions held are excellent too.

Emanating from the southeastern Swiss Alps, the mighty and meandering Rhine is one of the most important rivers, not just in Switzerland, but to surrounding countries as well. Voyaging through the center of the city of Basel, it adds to the charm of this old town by providing magnificent backdrops and a marine respite to this landlocked country. The High Rhine, which flows out of Lake Constance, cradles the celestial Rhine Falls, forming an otherworldly canvas of luminescence. Bridges like Vorderrhein, Hinterrhein and Alpenrhein loom over this robust, generous river, which is further ornamented by a melange of canals as it passes by forest-clad hills and lush carpets streaked in green. Today, many power-based industries are based upon the Upper Rhine. This river is much loved by its locals not just for the beauty and aesthetic pleasure it lends, but also because it is indeed a magnanimous source of life.

Far from only being important on an international level, the Kunsthalle Basel is actually one of the world's leading exhibitors for contemporary art. The gallery is run by the Basler Art Society, which has been holding exhibitions since 1872. Moreover, the exhibitions change on a regular basis and are accompanied by performances and lectures. The program of events is also supplemented by video and audio-visual aids, on the ground floor of the Kunsthalle. The gallery also works with other institutions, such as the Cargo Bar and the Kaskadenkondensator.