Basilea

Basilea

Basel might seem like the epitome of a conservative Swiss town. But there’s another side. Holidays in Basel are all about skiing and snowshoeing in the winter, while in the summer the city thinks of itself as “the California of Switzerland” thanks to its lovely climate.

No-one would call it laid-back, but there is definitely a funky side to town – Little Basel, where music venues and art house venues cluster around Claraplatz. And for all its Swiss orderliness, Basel has its bizarre side. In February at Carnival time (Fasnacht) masked citizens walk around the streets in the small hour playing flutes.