Special buildings and structures
Palatinate
The terrace located high above the Rhine and stretching behind the Basel Minster is known as the Palatinate of Basel, Switzerland as listed on mathgeneral. The bishop’s residence once stood nearby. Nowadays, the Palatinate offers a wonderful view over the old town of Basel and even as far as the border triangle.
Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
The striking high-rise building of the BIS – located at the Swiss Federal Railway Station (SBB) – is special in that the building belongs to 56 central banks and is therefore extraterritorial and is not subject to any other jurisdiction other than international law. The building was inaugurated in 1977. This “Bank for International Settlements” was founded in 1930 by the central banks of Belgium, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and some private banks from Japan and the United States. In addition to the headquarters in Basel, there are also two branches in Hong Kong and Mexico City.
Centralbahnplatz 2
CH-4002 Basel
www.bis.com
Basel Town Hall (“Roothuus”)
The imposing town hall sits enthroned on the Basel market square and is not only the seat of the municipal government, but also the seat of the cantonal government of Basel-Stadt. This is where the Grand Council (= legislature) and the Government Council (= executive) meet. The magnificent building has stood in its place since the 14th century. The red sandstone used for the construction and the remarkable tower are particularly striking on the “Roothuus”. In addition to being used as a government building, the town hall also includes offices of the state chancellery, the town shop and parts of the economic and social department. A tour of the Basel town hall from the inside is unfortunately not permitted.
TV tower St. Chrischona
This transmission tower, which is almost 251 meters high, is located in the northeast of Basel in the municipality of Bettingen. The tower, which is unfortunately not generally accessible to the public, but can be seen from afar, is the tallest free-standing structure in Switzerland. It serves as a transmission system for television and radio programs as well as for radio and telephone transmission and for water supply.
Tip!
Although the tower is normally closed to the public, a limited number of tours are offered for groups of visitors (max. 25 people).
Lonza House (“razor”)
Built in 1962, this building is a 68 m high striking skyscraper, which is often compared to the Pirelli building in Milan. When it was first used, it was considered the tallest building in Basel. Because of the frugal facade, the citizens of Basel chose the nickname “razor” for the monster.
Les Trois Rois
The oldest hotel in Europe is located directly on the Rhine. It was first mentioned in 1681 and was still an inn at that time. In the course of the hotel’s history, several famous personalities have been welcomed here. These included the inevitable Napoléon, Theodor Herzl, the even more inevitable Goethe, Voltaire, Picasso, Thomas Mann, Marc Chagall, Richard Wagner, the Rolling Stones and Giacomo Casanova, who also wrote about the “best inn in town”. Today the Les Trois Rois is a leading luxury hotel in Europe, which is spread out in a classicist building from 1844. Extensive renovations and extensions were carried out between 2004 and 2006. Further information about the hotel is available from:
Blumenrain 8
4001 Basel
Tel.: 0041 – (0) 61 – 260 50 50
Fax: 0041 – (0) 61 – 260 50 60
Email: [email protected]
Messeturm
At 105 meters and 31 floors, the tallest habitable building in Switzerland was built between 2001 and 2003. Parts of the exhibition tower, which is located on the exhibition grounds of the exhibition grounds, are also used as a press center during the trade fair events. Conferences are also held here. In addition to the office space, the tower also houses a restaurant, the four-star Ramada Plaza hotel and a viewing bar.
Silo tower (Bernoulli silo)
Located in the Kleinhüningen district, the Bernoulli-Silo, built between 1923 by the architect of the same name and commissioned in 1926, has two public viewing platforms, the higher of which extends 52 meters above the ground. Actually serving as a concrete silo, the tower’s viewing platforms are used as a popular location for cultural events.
City gates
Some of the former city gates, which were built inside the third wall after the great earthquake of 1356, but were removed along with the fortifications in 1860, have still been preserved. These still visible stone witnesses of the past include the Spalentor, the St. Alban Tor and the St. Johanns Tor. Of the three gates, the richly decorated Spalentor is known as the most beautiful city gate in Switzerland.
House to the cherry orchard
This house was built between 1777 and 1780 for the benefit of the silk ribbon manufacturer Johann Rudolf Burckhardt and has since been the most elegant citizen’s palace in the city of Basel. The architect responsible for the architectural showpiece was Ulrich Büchel. The Haus zum Kirschgarten has been used as a residential museum since 1951 and is part of the Basel Historical Museum.
