Northwestern Switzerland

Basel, where Switzerland, Germany and France meet, together with the countryside of Aargau, known for museums, historic towns on the Rhine and castles.

This region includes the cantons of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft and Aargau. To the southwest the Jura Mountains separate it from the cantons of Jura and Solothurn (included in the Bern region); to the east it borders the canton of Zurich; to the north the Rhine separates it from Baden-Württemberg in Germany; and the city of Basel lies right next to Alsace in France.

Highlights: Basel is Switzerland’s capital of art, with the Kunstmuseum Basel, the Fondation Beyeler, the Museum Tinguely and the Vitra Design Museum (on the German side, in Weil am Rhein), and Art Basel, held every June, is world-famous; the red-sandstone Basel Minster, the red Town Hall, the Rhine ferries and floating down the river for a summer swim are local specialities. In the canton of Basel-Landschaft are the Roman ruins of Augusta Raurica; in Aargau you will find the painted eaves of the Old Town of the capital Aarau, the thermal baths of Baden, Lenzburg Castle and Habsburg Castle (the ancestral seat of the Habsburgs), and the monastery town of Muri.

Classic itinerary: 1–2 days in Basel for museums and the Old Town, plus half a day at Augusta Raurica; you can also make a side trip to Colmar in Alsace or the Black Forest in Germany.

Getting there: EuroAirport Basel is located in France, and guests staying at hotels in the city receive a free transport pass; the train to Zurich takes about 1 hour.

Note: Accommodation is tight during Basel Fasnacht, in late February or early March.

Destinations

Itineraries