The museum runs workshops aimed at younger visitors that are designed to connect participants with the ancient culture through learning the techniques used thousands of years ago to make things like clay models and bowls. It may be a niche area of interest, but the world of pharmacology has an undeniably fascinating history.
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More than anything else, this museum provides a stark reminder of how far the pharmacology industry has progressed since those comparatively rudimentary days. Gently resting along the Rhine river, about a mile from centre of Basel, there is a street with a plaque that pays tribute to the heart-rending tale of two lovers torn asunder.
You should be. Today bronze plaques have been erected in their honour throughout the physical world, from New York to Dubai to Australia to Basel. One thing that unites all great historic cities of Europe is that most of them will hold the grave or tomb of an individual whose name is still celebrated today. Be they poets, musicians, political thinkers or, like Erasmus, scholars and theologians, their final resting places are sure to attract the curious and respects-payers.
Erasmus is considered to be one of the finest minds of his time, which happened to be the Renaissance period, a rare period when human understanding and evolution underwent a huge paradigm shift. Erasmus was a voice of moderation in a tumultuous sea of medieval identity politics. Even today, his via media , or middle road approach seems to be poignantly relevant, calling for the kind of discourse that recognises the beliefs of all and finding the common ground on which to build for the future.
His tomb lies in Basel Minster, the twin-towered Basel landmark that symbolically converted from a Catholic to a Reformed Protestant church. The quirky concept has altruistic roots, originally designed to create employment opportunities for the blind or sight impaired who make up the waiting staff , but the main focus here is fun and frivolity, with top quality food thrown into the mix too. Diners outside blindekuh restaurant Photo: blindekuh.
Founded by Ernst und Hildy Beyeler in , this museum combines exceptional art, a picturesque setting and eye-catching architecture. This cute, atmospheric toy shop is a veritable wormhole into a bygone era, long before the ubiquitous presence of X boxes and iPads that can now be found in homes across the land, when the primary source of entertainment for children was the comparatively simple pleasures of puppets and dolls.
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The store is filled to bursting point with bears, dolls and antique toys, while puppet shows and workshops are also occasionally held here. One of the most famous buildings of its style in the whole Switzerland, this neo-Gothic church dating back to the midth century is a serious attention-grabber. Additionally, a diverse programme of activities includes Zen-Meditation sessions, spiritual advice for people of all backgrounds, and Eucharist services led by women or the LGBT community.
See also: Where to Stay in Basel. The part of Basel that lies roughly between the river and the old city gate at Spalentor is not large but quite atmospheric with its stone streets, medieval churches, beautifully maintained old homes, and brightly painted fountains. But leave it to Basel to introduce a thoroughly modern and whimsical fountain by Swiss sculptor Jean Tinguely in the midst of the stately historic houses. Filling a pool in Theaterplatz is a series of playful and ingenious water-spouting contraptions made of scrap metal. In winter, these freeze into fantastic ice sculptures.
From Marktplatz , wander west along Spalenberg with detours into some of the narrow side streets, such as Leonhardsberg and Spalenberg, Heuberg. This was the old artisans' neighborhood. Or wander along Freiestrasse, which begins with the Renaissance Geltenzunfthaus , from At number 25 is the guild-house of the locksmiths dating from and decorated in Baroque style in Look for more wall paintings at the guild-house of the Hausgenossen at In the little Fischmarkt , you'll find a reproduction of a Gothic fountain whose original you can see in the historical museum.
The tour focuses on the area's rich history and varied architecture. Set on a medieval canal with an operating waterwheel, an old paper mill has been turned into a museum of writing, printing, and paper, showing the printing and papermaking processes with actual working machinery.
You can watch the laborious production of handmade paper, explore the evolution of printing from before Gutenberg's press through the demise of lead type in the s, and see how books are bound. Displays follow the development of writing from primitive pictographs through modern typography. The focal point of the Old Town is Marktplatz, where you'll still find the colorful daily market selling local produce, flowers, and food specialties.
Dominating the square is the bright red Basel Rathaus , with its colorful painted facade. The arcaded main building is in Late Burgundian Gothic style dating from to ; the new wing to the left and the tall tower on the right are 19th-century additions. The clock dates from the building's origins, the work of the Master Wilhelms from to Be sure to step into the beautiful courtyard to see the wall paintings, restored from originals. The statue, from , on the outer staircase represents the legendary founder of the town, Munatius Plancus.
You can also see the two council chambers, the Regierungsratssaal , with its impressive wood paneling, and the Grossratssaal , decorated by 15 coats-of-arms of the Swiss cantons. The Kunstmuseum, enhanced by the added exhibition space of a wing, is considered the finest collection of paintings in Switzerland, representing both old masters and modern art.
On the first floor are the old masters and a collection of French and Dutch paintings. The second floor houses an outstanding collection of 19th- and 20th-century Impressionists, Expressionists, and Surrealists. Built of red sandstone from the Vosges mountains of France between the ninth and 13th centuries, the minster was rebuilt in Gothic style after an earthquake in But some of the original church remains.
The high altar and much of the furnishings were destroyed by Protestants in , but the greatest treasures were hidden in the sacristy vaulting and survived; you can see some in the historical museum. Be sure to see the St. Gallus doorway in the north transept, with its many 12th-century Romanesque stone carvings - one of the oldest figured doorways in German-speaking Europe. The tympanum above the doorway shows the Wise and Foolish Virgins, with Christ enthroned above flanked by Peter and Paul.
A large rose window lies above the doorway.
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Inside, the lower part of the choir is Romanesque; notice especially the capitals carved with rich foliage and animals. The Romanesque capitals in the nave and ambulatory are also noteworthy. In front of the pulpit, under glass, is a piece of the Late Romanesque pavement from the 12th century. From inside the church, you can access the stairs to the top of the south tower.
The crypt, which can be entered from beside the choir, contains the tombs of 10th- to 13th-century bishops and an excellent Romanesque frieze on the piers; ceiling frescoes depict scenes from the life of the Virgin and other New Testament themes. The beautiful 15th-century double cloister, entered from Rittergasse, contains monuments ranging over a period of five centuries.
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The collection of more than 6, toys, including dolls, stuffed animals, dollhouses, shop models, and carousels is not just for children. The dollhouses are exceptional, not only the historical examples, but the newly commissioned works of artists who create rooms and shops in miniature. One section is devoted to the Neapolitan folk art of nativity scenes set in the context of everyday life in early Naples , with figures dressed in infinitely detailed costumes.
The museum's collection of 2, teddy bears is thought to be the world's largest.
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Even if you don't tour the museum, don't miss walking around to look in the windows. Six display-sized windows facing the street are dedicated to changing displays from the collections, based on seasonal and other themes and representing current special exhibitions. Dating from , the Spalentor is a fortified gate marking the end of the old town. The town gate, once part of the old town walls, has stood alone since their destruction in Look to the left of the gate to find an early 19th-century letterbox with the emblem of the Basel pigeon.
The adjacent Peterskirche St. Peter's Church was rebuilt in the 15th century, but the vaulting in the choir is from an earlier 14th-century building. There are frescoes in the Eberler chapel and the nave. Adjacent is the university, with a botanical garden that was founded in the 16th century, one of the oldest in the world. The strongest areas are sculptures and Greek vases, although there are outstanding exhibits of gold jewelry, bronze sculptures, and clay figures. The museum also operates Skulpturhalle Basel , located near Basel University, which features more than 2, plaster casts of Greek and Roman sculptures including a complete set of casts of the Parthenon, part of the Acropolis in Athens , as well as scale-size architectural sculptures.
Basel's large zoo is affectionately known as the Zolli by locals. Founded in with European animals, today the zoo is known more for exotic species. With predators, primates, mammals, reptiles, birds, and aquatic life, the population ranges from seahorses to elephants, the latter now enjoying a new elephant enclosure added in with wallowing pools, showers, and a savannah-like environment.
The lion enclosure and monkey house are highlights, along with the penguins in the vivarium, which also houses fish and reptiles. The aviary houses both indigenous and exotic birds, as well as birds of prey. The zoo has been particularly successful in breeding rhinoceros and cheetahs. It spotlights particularly the city's unique position at the crossroads between Swiss, German, and French cultures.
In the aisles are weapons and furnished period rooms, in the choir religious art, and in the crypt is the minster treasury, recovered after being saved from destruction during the Reformation. Interesting exhibits deal with the importance of silk ribbon manufacture in Basel from the late 18th through the 19th century.
Housed in an old paper mill with modern extensions, Basel's Museum of Contemporary Art highlights art from to the present. It was the first public museum in Europe dedicated exclusively to art works created in the late 20th century. Guided tours in English are available with advance notice and are included in the admission price. One of central Europe's best collections of Judaica depicts religious and everyday life as it explores the Jewish history of Basel and its surrounds.