Basel Minster

The Basel Minster is the building that defines the skyline of the old town. Built of warm red sandstone, it crowns a terrace high above the Rhine, and its two slender towers and patterned roof tiles are visible from the bridges, the ferries and almost every riverside path. The church was consecrated in the early eleventh century, rebuilt after a great earthquake in 1356 and later reshaped by the Reformation, so the walls carry Romanesque, Gothic and later layers side by side. Inside it is plain and bright rather than ornate, as befits a Protestant church, with stone arches, a few fine carved capitals and the tomb of the humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam, who spent his last years in Basel. Outside, the Munsterplatz in front of the church is one of the most atmospheric squares in Switzerland, ringed by townhouses, with cobbles that glow at dusk. Behind the church, the Pfalz terrace looks straight down on the river, with a wide view over the rooftops of Kleinbasel, the Black Forest hills and the ferries crossing below. It is a favourite place to sit with a coffee or a picnic.

Plan to see the church interior first. Entry is usually free or very low cost, with hours that vary by season and by services, so check before you go. Look for the carved doorway known as the Galluspforte, one of the oldest figured church portals in the region, and for the medieval cloister on the south side, a quiet courtyard of tracery and memorial slabs where the noise of the city seems to drop away.

Basel was a major centre of the Council held here in the fifteenth century, and the minster gives a real feel for that important past.

If you are comfortable with heights, the tower climb is worth the effort. A narrow stone spiral takes you up to a viewing level above the roofline, where the Rhine bends, the three borders of Switzerland, Germany and France meet, and the Jura and Black Forest hills fill the horizon. The stairs are steep and tight, so it is not suited to anyone with limited mobility, and the opening times are shorter in winter. A clear morning gives the best visibility.

The minster is also a working venue. Organ concerts and choral evenings are held through the year, and the acoustics are excellent, so ask at the tourist office or look at the posters at the entrance if you would like to combine sightseeing with music. The Christmas season fills the nearby squares with lights.

Reach the minster on foot from the Marktplatz in about ten minutes, climbing the Rittergasse, or walk up from the Rhine by the stepped lane from the Rhine ferry landing. Both routes pass lovely old houses. After your visit, descend by the steps to the river and take the cable ferry across for a different view of the cathedral from below. Allow forty-five minutes to an hour for the church and cloister, and an extra thirty minutes with the tower and terrace.

Dress respectfully, as this is an active church, and keep voices low during services. Photography is generally permitted for personal use. In the evening, the minster is lit softly, and a late walk across the Mittlere Brucke gives a wonderful view back to the towers glowing above the water.