The very beautiful Merian Gärten
What better way to spend a few hours on a Summer or Autumn day than wandering around the immaculate, beautiful and vast Merian Gärten in Basel. Villa Merian was gifted to Christoph Merian on his wedding day in 1824 by his father. The villa was used as Christoph and his wife Margaretha Burckhardt as a summer residence and was gifted to the Christoph Merian Stiftung in 1886. In 1968 the Christoph Merian Stiftung gave Merian Gärten to Basel City so, we can all say we own a small piece of this amazing house and garden.
Get lost in the maize labyrinth at Mathis-hof
Mathishof has the most amazing, Enter the labyrinth and wind your way through the maize to find 4 or 5 kids play areas that include slides, swings, trampolines and other fun things to play on. Take the zip line through the maze to cut a corner or wander around until you find the exit. The labyrinth is not so complex that you can get lost but you do need a good 30 mins to 1 hour to enjoy it fully. Be warned, I imagine many children could spend a lot longer than that though!
A visit to the oldest bakery in Basel
Backerei KULT is a very old bakery, opened first in the 1700s and boasts a wood burning oven and a long queue to get in!
My guide to swimming in the Rhine
Rhine swimming is on of the best ways to appreciate Basel. To be immersed in the water of the Rhine on a hot summer days is just fabulous, what better way to travel through the heart of Basel!
Brunch on a Farm in the heart of Basel – Schallenurseli
Schallenurseli is a seasonal restaurant located on a farm in St. Margarethen, Basel. Here, I review their brunch offer…
My four favourite buvettes – the best way to enjoy views of the Rhine
Enjoy Basel’s warm evenings or sunny afternoons at the numerous buvettes that are spread out along the Rhine. A buvette is a popup, seasonal bar that serves apero nibbles, sandwiches and other fast foods along with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Perfect for lazy summer afternoons watching the world go by, watching the sunset over the Rhine, resting after a Rhine swim or just hanging out with family and friends.
Pick your own flowers in one of Basel’s sustainable, flower fields
Visit one of Basel’s flower fields and pick your own flowers fresh that day! Open May-October every year, TWINT payment or leave you money in the payment bin. A very sustainable thing to do in Basel.
Foraging for elderflower to make a summery cordial
It was a warm sunny day today so, I headed to Niederbipp in Canton Solothurn, a region I used to live in. I wanted to go foraging in the woods with the hope that I could also pick some Elderflower. Why? These beautiful delicate flowers are packed with fragrant yellow pollen that makes the most delicious summer cordial.
Swimming in the natural waters of the Natur Bad in Riehen
Riehen’s Natur bad designed by the famous architects Herzog & du Meuron, the pools are cleaned by reed beds so, the water has no chlorine added to it. Make this a Thing to do in Basel this summer.