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Basel Nightlife

As you'd expect from a cosmopolitan Swiss city with close to 200,000 inhabitants, Basel isn't lacking in watering holes and nightspots. Laid-back, luxurious or speaker-thumping – they're all here.

Bars in Basel

Campari Bar

The Campari Bar is a cocktail spot that forms part of the Kunsthalle, boasting a lovely garden with large orchid plants. The cocktail list is far from standard – drinks include the Romeo & Juliet, which uses gin and Earl Grey tea, and the tequila-based Yakima Sling. The terrace makes it particularly popular in summer. Light bites are also available.

Address: , Steinenberg 7, Basel, 4051
Telephone: +41 61 272 42 33
Website: http://www.restaurant-kunsthalle.ch

Cargobar

This popular riverside bar is more than a mere watering hole and hosts art events, movie nights and book readings into the early hours of the morning. DJ nights and live music are both part of the offering too, with jazz concerts a common staple.

Address: , Sankt Johanns-Rheinweg 46, Basel, 4056
Telephone: +41 61 321 0072
Website: http://www.cargobar.ch

Zum Braunen Mutz

This classic beer hall is a great place to meet locals and enjoy a pint, with a choice of sixteen different beers available – many of them Swiss. It's a traditional venue with an inclusive atmosphere. There's a decent wine list too, and a good restaurant on the first floor.

Address: , Barfüsserplatz 10, Basel,
Telephone: +41 61 261 3369
Website: http://www.brauner-mutz-basel.ch

Clubs in Basel

Atlantis

The restaurant, concert venue and club Atlantis is a Basel institution, famed for its variety of house, R & B, soul and oldies. The club hosts semi-regular special events, with live performances from rock and blues musicians.

Address: , Klosterberg 13, Basel, 4051
Telephone: +61 228 9696
Website: http://www.atlan-tis.ch

Bar Rouge

The highest party venue in Basel morphs from cocktail bar to nightclub with regular DJ nights. It's located 105 metres above ground on the 31st floor of the Ramada Plaza hotel and gives sweeping views across the city, hence its "Top Of Switzerland" tagline.

Address: , Messeplatz 10, Basel, 4058
Telephone: +41 61 361 3031
Website: https://www.barrouge.ch

VICE Club

If you're after a nightclub that fits the usual city template – chilled vodka, loud dance music, togged-up partygoers – this is a good bet. Expect R'n'B, dancehall, hip hop and occasional special guests. American rappers The Game and Redman have both made recent appearances.

Address: , Steinentorstrasse 35, Basel, 4051
Telephone: +41 61 283 281 6114
Website: http://www.viceclub.ch

Live music in Basel

Basel City Casino

The music hall in the Basel City Casino is the musical heart of the city. This is where the Basel Symphony Orchestra performs. The hall can seat over 1,500 people, and the acoustics are among the best in the world. There are three more halls available in the casino for chamber music concerts, presentations, exhibitions, conferences and traditional company events. Please note that the music hall has been transformed into an archaeological site and will be closed at least until the end of 2017.

Address: Barfüsserplatz, Steinenberg 14, Basel, 4051
Telephone: +41 61 226 3600
Website: http://www.erweiterung-stadtcasino.ch

Bird's Eye Jazz Club

The Bird's Eye Jazz Club counts among Switzerland's best jazz clubs with live shows performed by young talents as well as international stars. A more temporary seasonal stage is a raft moored on the Rhine, used for concerts in summer when the riverbanks are lined with people.

Address: , Kohlenberg 20, Basel, 4051
Telephone: +41 61 263 3341
Website: http://www.birdseye.ch

St Jakobshalle

The indoor St Jakobshalle is used for big pop and rock concerts, as well as sporting events and other shows. The roster of different musical acts to appear here is nothing if not broad – recent schedules have welcomed everyone from Bee Gee brother Robin Gibb to indie-rockers The xx.

Address: , Brüglingerstrasse 19-21, Basel, 4052
Telephone: +41 61 317 8222
Website: http://www.stjakobshalle.ch

Classical music in Basel

Dance in Basel

Theatres in Basel

Music and Dance in Basel

Culture in Basel

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Featured Hotels

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Hotel Rheinfelderhof

A few minutes' walk from the city centre (and even closer to the Messe Basel trade fair venue), this is a well-priced hotel with almost 50 rooms. It's nothing fancy but has all the basics covered, from free wifi to satellite TV. There's a traditional restaurant on site.

Swissotel Le Plaza

The Swissotel Le Plaza, graded as four-star superior, is a stylish option a few minutes' walk from the Rhine and the Old Town. The hotel has 238 rooms and offers 24-hour room service, as well as a gym with a sauna and steam room. Its Grill25 restaurant serves up the classics in smart surroundings.

Les Trois Rois

One of the oldest city hotels in Europe, Les Trois Rois is Basel's grandest residence. Over the years, its luxurious rooms and suites on the banks of the Rhine in the Old Town have accommodated such luminaries as Napoleon, Charles Dickens, Pablo Picasso, Thomas Mann and Queen Elizabeth II. It also has a fitness centre and various top-notch restaurants and bars.

Courtyard Basel

Part of the Marriott Group – and consequently a reliable if rather vanilla option for an overnight stay – the Courtyard Basel Hotel is set on the southern outskirts of the city and has 175 rooms and suites with the usual amenities and plenty of meeting space.

Hotel Basel

Situated in the heart of the old city for the past four decades, this 4-star hotel has 70 rooms and three suites, all comfortably furnished and equipped with the standard mod cons. There are three restaurants, including a brasserie, and a couple of small meeting rooms.

Teufelhof (Devil's Court)

This enjoyably quirky establishment comprises two hotels: the Kunsthotel (Art Hotel), with nine rooms each designed by a local artist, and the larger Galeriehotel (Gallery Hotel), in which both the rooms and public spaces function as exhibition spaces for artists. Prices can vary greatly according to demand.