Middle Bridge
Mittlere Brücke
An ancient Rhine crossing where a bridge was first built in 1226, connecting Greater Basel and Lesser Basel. The 'King with the Protruding Tongue' at the bridgehead is a playful emblem of the city.
A bridge spanning the Rhine has stood at this location since as early as 1226, and for a long time it was the only bridge on the Rhine between Lake Constance and the North Sea. The current stone bridge was rebuilt in 1905. The small chapel at the center of the bridge replicates the original from the Middle Ages and was once a place of execution. On the clock at the Greater Basel end of the bridge, the head of the 'King with the Protruding Tongue' is said to mock the residents of Lesser Basel across the river. From the bridge you can see the cathedral and the old towns on both banks, and in summer swimmers often float past below.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Basel Town Hall & Marktplatz
- Natural History Museum Basel
- Basler Fasnacht
- Museum der Kulturen Basel
- Basel Minster
- Rhine Ferries
- Basel Christmas Market
- Historical Museum Basel – Barfüsserkirche