Basel Experience

The Joy of Basel

Advantages: Great for travelling, friendly, easy to get around, clean
Disadvantages: Swiss German is impossible to understand unless you grew up with it!

...and honour of living in Basel as part of my degree. I was working for one of the many chemical companies near the centre, and living in one of the smaller suburbs, Muttenz. I've been back in England now for three months (at the time of writing), and I miss it all like crazy. If ever there was a good place to start, it's the beginning. Basel is riddled with history; originally a Celtic tribe lived here, until the Romans moved in circa 40BC to Augusta ...
...the best evenings out in Basel is a meal on the Rhine, up to three hours of gentle cruising while you enjoy a variety of dishes (depending on the day). The old city has lost none of its character, putting to shame many British cities that have sacrificed their stories in exchange for 'progress'. Wonderful back alleys lead up hills and round churches, filled with greenery and architecture that has a wonderful ability to calm your mind. I highly recommend ...

sonofsanta 09.11.2006 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Basel (Switzerland)

Unsettling

Advantages: Cathedral, old town, plenty to keep you occupied
Disadvantages: I just didn't feel at home

Basel is a curious city – despite visiting several times over the past year, I still haven’t been won over by its charms, and I don’t really know why! Maybe it’s the strange mix of cultures that exist in this city that sits a little uncomfortably on the Rhine, within a stone’s throw of both Germany and France: Everything is in German, the locals speak their own local dialect of Swiss German, while you are just a short ...
...if Basel cannot make up its mind just where it belongs. It’s not as if there isn’t much to do here, either – there is a lovely old town to be explored on the hillside, where you can quite happily while away an afternoon wandering round, and the shopping centre has plenty to offer - and there is a decent selection of British/Irish pubs (try Mr Pickwicks or Reilly's), which is always a bonus for expats on their travels! However, if ...

JVL 07.06.2001 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Basel (Switzerland)