The Best of Basel
Famed for its art museums and galleries, stunning modern architecture and design centers, and the cobblestoned medeival streets of its Old Town – this compact city straddling the banks of the Rhine River begs to be explored, which can easily (and best) be done by foot.
Highlights
Baselstrasse 101, 4125 Basel, Switzerland
Expect to see Alexander Calder mobiles mixed into a Peter Fischli and David Weiss display, or pieces by Paul Klee and Claude Monet side by side with contemporary artworks from Wolfgang Tillmans. There’s no one set theme at the Fondation Beyeler, Basel’s glassy, Renzo Piano–designed temple to creativity, on grounds graced with bucolic trees and greenery and stuffed to the gills with blue-chip art. The foundation was established by Basel art dealers Hildy and Ernst Beyeler and is arguably one of the most important contemporary museums in Switzerland. The exhibitions timed to coincide with Art Basel (in mid-June) are often some of its best.
Charles-Eames-Straße 2, 79576 Weil am Rhein, Germany
Just across the border from Basel, Switzerland, sits the Vitra Design Museum. Housing one of the finest collections of modern design and architecture, the main museum building was designed by Frank Gehry, and the collection includes more than 7,000 pieces of modern furniture, lighting, and accessories. Sign up ahead of your visit for a walking tour and allow yourself time to browse the museum shop (hard to resist) and have lunch at the restaurant on-site.
