Basel Walking Tour with Audioguide on your Smartphone

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1

  The Basler Pfalz is a panoramic terrace high above the Rhine, directly behind Basel Minster. Its name comes from the Latin palatium, meaning “palace,” as the bishop’s residence once stood nearby. From here, you can look across Kleinbasel and, on clear days, toward the border region of Switzerland, France, and Germany.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 2
  Basel Minster

  Basel Minster is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, with red sandstone walls, colourful roof tiles and twin towers. Consecrated in 1019, it was rebuilt and expanded over centuries in Romanesque and Gothic styles, especially after the earthquake of 1356. Inside, you’ll find the tomb of humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam and two historic cloisters.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• Basel Historical Museum - Barfuesserkirche (Pass by)

  Basel Historical Museum’s main site occupies the former Barfüsserkirche, a medieval Franciscan church in the heart of the city. The museum opened here in 1894 and traces Basel’s history from its earliest settlements to modern times. Highlights include medieval art, the Basel Cathedral Treasury, historic tapestries, archaeological finds, and objects from everyday life.

  Admission ticket free
• 3
  Tinguely Fountain

  The Tinguely Fountain, created by Swiss artist Jean Tinguely in 1977, stands where the old Basel theatre stage once stood. Its playful mechanical figures, made partly from pieces of the demolished theatre, constantly move, spray and splash water. Like actors on a stage, the machines repeat their performance, but their unpredictable movements make every moment slightly different.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• (Pass by)

  The Toy Worlds Museum Basel is a treasure trove of historic toys and miniatures spread across four floors. Its collection includes antique dolls, dollhouses, miniature shops, carousels and one of the world’s largest collections of historic teddy bears. Many displays are arranged as detailed little scenes, turning the museum into a nostalgic journey through the changing world of childhood.

  Admission ticket free
• 4

  The Drachenreiter, or “Dragon Rider,” is actually Ritter Georg, a bronze sculpture of Saint George by Basel artist Carl Burckhardt. Created in 1922–23 for the Kohlenberg steps, it shows the legendary knight on horseback defeating a dragon. Its simplified forms and striking S-shaped silhouette give the traditional medieval subject a distinctly modern character.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• (Pass by)

  The Lohnhof began as part of the medieval St. Leonard’s monastery. After the Reformation, the complex became a municipal building yard where workers received their wages, or “Lohn,” giving the site its name. From 1835 to 1995 it served as a prison. Today, former cells house Basel’s Music Museum, while other parts have been transformed into a hotel and restaurant.

  Admission ticket free
• 5
  Leonhardskirche

  Leonhardskirche rises above Basel’s old town on Leonhardsberg. A Romanesque basilica stood here by the late 11th century and was consecrated in 1118. Much of it was destroyed in the 1356 earthquake; the church was rebuilt in Gothic style, with its present hall nave dating from 1481–1521. Beneath the choir, the Romanesque crypt still preserves traces of the earliest church.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 6

  The Spiesshof is one of Basel’s finest Renaissance residences. Its courtyard wing was built between 1585 and 1590 by architect Daniel Heintz the Elder, while a Baroque section was added in the 18th century. The house is also linked to David Joris, a controversial Anabaptist leader who lived here secretly in the 16th century. Today, the restored complex contains offices and apartments.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 7

  Known as the Nischenbrunnen, this fountain has stood on Spalenberg since 1839 and is the largest niche fountain in Basel. Its most striking feature is the mural by Basel painter Numa Donzé, added in 1919. The artwork depicts scenes from the life of John the Baptist, transforming this practical city fountain into a small work of public art.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 8

  The Basel Fire Brigade Museum is tucked inside the Lützelhof, home of the city’s professional fire brigade. Its collection traces the history of firefighting through equipment ranging from medieval hand-operated pumps to breathing apparatus, helmets, ladders and historic uniforms. The museum offers a fascinating look at how firefighters battled flames long before modern engines and technology.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 9

  The Spalenbrunnen is one of Basel’s most ornate Renaissance fountains. Its richly decorated column was carved around 1545 and later moved to this site near the Spalentor. The dancing figures are based on a design by Hans Holbein the Younger, while the bagpiper crowning the fountain was inspired by an engraving by Albrecht Dürer. The original sculpture is now kept in Basel’s Historical Museum.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 10

  Spalentor is one of three surviving gates from Basel’s medieval city walls and dates from around 1400. Once the main western entrance to the city, it stood on an important trade route toward Alsace. Its square central tower is flanked by two round towers, while the outer façade is decorated with 15th-century figures of the Madonna and two prophets.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 11

  Founded in 1460, the University of Basel is the oldest university in Switzerland. Its opening ceremony was held in Basel Minster, and it soon became an important center of European humanism. Over the centuries, scholars such as Paracelsus and Friedrich Nietzsche taught here. Today, its main building stands on Petersplatz, continuing more than five and a half centuries of academic tradition.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 12

  The Wildt’sches Haus is one of Basel’s finest late-Baroque residences. Built from 1762 for wealthy silk-ribbon manufacturer Jeremias Wildt, it was designed by architect Johann Jakob Fechter. Behind its elegant façade are richly decorated rooms, stucco ceilings and a formal garden. Since the 1950s, the house has served as a prestigious venue for the city government, university and special events.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• (Pass by)

  The Pharmacy Museum of the University of Basel was founded in 1925 and occupies the historic Haus zum Vorderen Sessel. Its remarkable collection traces centuries of medicine through old pharmacies, alchemist laboratories, ceramic drug jars and curious remedies once used across Europe. Erasmus and Paracelsus also worked in this building, adding another layer to its scientific history.

  Admission ticket free
• 13

  The Hoosesaggmuseum is one of Basel’s quirkiest attractions and claims to be the city’s smallest museum. Its entire exhibition fits inside a tiny window at Imbergässlein 31. The name means “trouser-pocket museum” in Basel dialect, a nod to the miniature scale. Since 1995, the display has changed regularly, featuring playful collections of small objects that can be viewed from the street at any time.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 14
  Marktplatz

  Marktplatz is the lively heart of Basel’s Old Town, dominated by the striking red Rathaus, home to the government and parliament of Basel-Stadt. Markets have long shaped the square’s character, and stalls still sell fruit, vegetables, flowers and regional specialties on weekdays. Surrounded by historic façades and crossed by trams, the square blends civic history with everyday city life.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 15

  Founded in 1870, Confiserie Schiesser is one of Basel’s historic culinary institutions. Its elegant home on Marktplatz dates from 1910 and houses a traditional tearoom, bakery and chocolate workshop. For generations, the family business has been known for handmade pralines, cakes and Basel specialties, combining Swiss confectionery traditions with the atmosphere of a classic Viennese coffeehouse.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 16
  Basel Town Hall

  Basel Town Hall is one of the city’s most striking landmarks, famous for its vivid red façade and elaborate murals. Its main section was built in the early 16th century after Basel joined the Swiss Confederation in 1501. Later extensions added the tower and wings. Still home to the government and parliament of Basel-Stadt, the building also has a richly painted courtyard open to visitors.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 17
  Martinskirche

  Martinskirche is Basel’s oldest parish church, first mentioned in 1101. Reformer Johannes Oecolampadius preached here in the 16th century. Today, the church is best known as a concert venue, prized for its excellent acoustics. Its bells also preserve two beloved traditions: they announce the opening of Basel’s Autumn Fair and mark the start of the famous Morgenstreich during Carnival.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 18

  This steep 69-step alley is one of Basel’s most unusually named streets. Its name, meaning “Lane of the Eleven Thousand Virgins,” refers to the legend of Saint Ursula and her companions, who supposedly passed through Basel on pilgrimage to Rome. Stone steps were laid here as early as 1352, making it one of the city’s earliest paved passages.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 19
  Mittlere Brucke

  Mittlere Brücke is one of Basel’s great landmarks and among the oldest Rhine crossings between Lake Constance and the North Sea. The first bridge opened here in 1226 and later became important for trade over the Gotthard route. The present stone bridge dates from 1905. At its center, the small Käppelijoch chapel recalls the medieval bridge that once stood on this site.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 20

  Rosentalanlage is a green oasis with an unusual past. From 1832–33, this site served as the St. Theodore cemetery for Kleinbasel. The cemetery closed in 1890 and was cleared by 1914, leaving the area as public open space. One reminder survives: the small domed funeral chapel designed by prominent Basel architect Melchior Berri. Today, the park also hosts fairs, circuses and other events.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• The audio guide is available through a special mobile app for iOS and Android
• Entry tickets to the museums are not included. Please buy them separately in advance
• The tour doesn’t cover all Basel sights
• This is a self-guided tour. You will need to download the audio guide mobile app, activate your purchase, and follow the route on the app's map. There is no human guide provided

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