Things to do in Basel
Adventure climbing forest
In the tree tops of Lörrach, just over the border into Germany (www.erlebniskletterwald.de) is an adventure course with over 135 different climbing activities. Heights range from 2m to 10m and kids and adults alike are welcomed. Whoever cries off the 1000m (3280 ft) rope slide will be buying dinner.
Find your way out of the Escape Room
At Room Escape (www.roomescape.ch/home-en/) you are locked into a room with one single goal - to find your way back to the great outside within an hour. You’ll have to unlock doors, crack locks, solve puzzles and generally use that thing inside your head. It’s done in groups of two to six people, and we’re assured if you can’t work it out for yourself, they’ll let you go in time for dinner.
Hiking it is
The Basel region is populated by densely forested hills and over 1000km of hiking and bike trails. Those in the know head for the area known as the ‘Wanderweg’: this can be reached via a cable car from Reigoldswil, which will take you to the summit of Wasserfallen Mountain. If you want to get a head start, grab yourself a word with the tourist office (tel: +41 61 268 68 68; www.basel.com/en/Tourist-Information).
Stiftung Brasilea
On the banks of the harbour is this cultural centre (tel: +41 (0)61 262 39 39; www.brasilea.com) that seeks to celebrate and expose all things Brazilian. Its exhibitions range from archive photos of Pele, to sculptures and artwork of artists that are thematically linked to the land that gave us the bossa nova.
Take a dip in the Rhine
If the sun's out, jump into the Rhine for a reinvigorating swim. There are several entry points, including the Badhysli (bath house) on Rheinbad Breite, St. Alban-Rheinweg on the Grossbasel bank of the river and the Kleinbasel bank of the river, where the water is accessible along a promenade.
