Munster (Cathedral), Basel

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

.../Irish pubs (try Mr Pickwicks or Reilly's), which is always a bonus for expats on their travels! However, if FC Basel are playing at home, then you are advised to take care around the pubs, as the Basel hooligans who have been banned from the new stadium tend to congregate there and look for trouble with passing foreigners. I saw this at first hand after the Intertoto Cup match between Basel and Aston Villa in August, and had to take cover at the back of Mr Pickwick's as the Swiss riot police moved on the hooligans. The main squares in the city are Claraplatz and Barfusserplatz, and the Marktplatz is also worth a look, firstly for the market (as the name suggests) but also to see the brightly-painted facade and courtyard of the Rathaus (town hall). A visit to the Munster (cathedral) is well worth it - this was originally built by the Holy Roman... Read review

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

...) and the colourful, surreal masks that turn it into another world. Although renowned as a reserved people, when it comes to celebration the Swiss let fly with a fury and dedication you will find surprising and charming (see photos #5 and #6). If you can't make Fasnacht, especially with it being the busiest (and therefore dearest) time of year, the Autumn Fair at the end of October is another great event. For a fortnight various squares across the city are taken up with craft markets in traditional wooden stalls and a whole raft of fairground rides. One of my fondest memories is of a warm autumnal evening spent walking around Basel, jumping on rollercoasters and dodgems, and best of all the enormous ferris wheel set up at Münsterplatz by the cathedral - by day, a stunning panoramic of the corner in the Rhine that Basel nestles in, by night a whirlwind... Read review

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Advantages: Centrally located, very friendly staff
Disadvantages: None I can think of...

...and hot drink making facilities in the rooms and plenty of cupboard space if you need it, along with spare blankets for those cold Swiss winter nights! The hotel is centrally located and the tram to the train station stops right outside. The immediate area isn't exactly picturesque, but turn right on leaving the main entrance, and 2 minutes later you are in the most picturesque city you can imagine. If you're going in December, the huge and gorgeous Christmas market is only 5 minutes walk from the hotel. If you turn right on leaving the hotel you head down into the commercial heart of Basel and reach a wide choice of restaurants, cafes and pubs in about 5 minutes. A word of warning though - Swiss prices really are as high as you may have heard! We were horrified at the prices over and over again! We were paying the equivalent of 4GBP... Read review

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