In 2018 I finally got to visit Switzerland and before my main trip to Lucerne I spent the day in Basel.

It happened to be a rainy day, but that didn’t stop me from exploring the streets, admiring the architecture and enjoying some solo time. 

Fresh off the bus from the airport, I stowed my luggage at the station and made my first stop of the day at the Tinguely fountain.

Swiss artist Jean Tinguely placed his sculptures in a pool on the site where the city stage once stood. These sculptures constantly move like machines, either moving the water or shooting it out into the air. It’s fascinating to sit and watch for a while, and pretty relaxing actually!

After a little exploration, I picked up some delicious local biscuits from Läckerli Huus and made my way to the Basel Minster.

The whole area around the Minster looked like it was from a picture postcard and there were even some classical musicians playing outside, which gave the most amazing ambience. It was so beautiful. Even the roof was tiled in a stunning mosaic.

I wandered down the hill and over the Rhine to see the city from a different view and even ended up seeing some people actually swimming in the river itself!

Then it was a visit to the Town Hall, where I managed to shelter for a bit from a torrential downpour, before heading off to explore the gorgeous streets despite the rain. I actually think it was probably quieter with it being a rainy day, which meant I had a lot of the areas completely to myself!

The rain cleared up and I took advantage of the break and headed back to the station to catch my train to Lucerne.

I definitely recommend giving Basel a visit if you find yourself in Switzerland, the architecture is gorgeous and the town itself is like the cover of a chocolate box. It’s super pretty. There was so much that I didn’t see (they have a zoo and some museums too), so it’s definitely somewhere to while away a couple of relaxing days.