Winter Basel
City Trip Ideas
In winter, the Swiss metropolis of Basel stands out with a special flair. Experience a winter city break in Basel at the traditional and exclusive 4-star Hotel Euler. Treat yourself to a cosy Basel winter break with fondue, Basel carnival, top-class cultural offers and a romantic time for two. Experience wintry Basel far away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life at the traditional Hotel Euler and wander through the medieval alleys of Basel Stadt. Sleep in modern and comfortably furnished rooms or in our spacious suites. Enjoy an apero cocktail in the Euler Bar followed by a romantic dinner in the Caspar`s restaurant.
Hotel Euler Basel is in a perfectly central location. Directly in the centre of Basel - next to the SBB train station - yet very quiet. From the Hotel Euler it is only a few minutes on foot or with the Basler Drämmli to the Basel Winter Hotspots in the historic Basel Old Town. Basel in winter is considered quiet and contemplative. During the Basel Shrovetide, winter in Basel City turns upside down.
Our Basel Winter
Highlights
BaselCitytour or panoramic tram ride
Warm up in the Basel steam bath
Foyer Public: Sightseeing break in the largest public living room
Greenhouses Botanical Garden
Zolli: Basel Zoological Garden with Vivarium
Fondue, raclette or Tatar hat in the winter village in the Sandoase
Ice skating Eglisee or Margarethen
Basel Carnival - UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List
Basel in the rain
Thanks to a wide range of options, there's never a dull moment in Basel, even when the weather is gloomy. The BaselCitytour takes you to Basel's HotSpots in the Panorama Sightseer. Hop on and off wherever and as often as you like. You can take a panoramic tour on tram line 16 in the direction of Bruderholz at the Schifflände, Marktplatz or Barfüsserplatz stops. From the city centre it goes to the Bruderholz villa district and continues on line 15 past museums, the exhibition centre and over the Mittlere Brücke bridge back to Schifflände. Families in particular will also find an exciting roof over their heads at Basel Zoo in the Vivarium and Ape House, at the Basel Adventure Centre or in the Climbing Hall 7. For that extra feel-good factor in the warmth, we recommend the Basel steam bath, the greenhouses in the Botanical Gardens or the Foyer Public.
Basel Steam Bath
The Stellwerk St. Johann in the north of Basel touches the senses. The DAMPF°BAD Basel offers a tranquil little wellness oasis in the centre of the city. A pestemal (hamam towel) is provided throughout. The hamam offers 2 steam rooms, 1 warm water pool, soap foam and keser rooms (exfoliation zone), as well as heated stone benches for relaxing. In addition, a variety of massages from all cultures and individual yoga lessons can be booked.
Foyer Public
The large foyer at Theater Basel is open to everyone free of charge and is consumption-free. In the Foyer Public you can take a break on your way from the station to the city centre or vice versa, warm up, meet friends, sit together and relax. The Foyer Public offers a children's corner, workstations with power sockets and WLAN and a branch of the city library for free use. Accessible via the main entrance on Theaterplatz and the entrance behind Elisabethenkirche.
Greenhouses Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden of the University of Basel near Spalentor is one of the oldest gardens of its kind. In the Victoria House, you can immerse yourself in the world of tropical swamp and aquatic plants with the impressive Amazon water lily as the highlight. The Succulent House mainly displays cacti, the Namibia House desert plants from south-west Africa and in the Moss House you can discover mosses, lycopods and ferns. The new tropical house with the cloud forest house, which is unique in Europe, offers a tropical experience in the heart of Basel.
Basel Zoological Gardens with vivarium
Basel Zoo is one of the most visited attractions in Switzerland: the vivarium and the ape house offer exciting alternatives to the outdoor animal enclosures. Be amazed by the colourful, exotic fish in the mysterious world of the vivarium. And the exuberant monkeys in the monkey house are sure to put young and old alike in a good mood. The outdoor animal enclosures are the elephant enclosure, bird house, sauter garden, rhino enclosure, children's zoo for touching and stroking, savannah enclosure, Australis themed enclosure, antelope house and African enclosure.
Winter specialities from Basel
Swiss fondue & raclette specialities are perfect for the cold season. The traditional Walliserkanne in Basel's city centre invites you to enjoy a cheese fondue and raclette. In the romantic Baracca Zermatt fondue hut, you can share Zermatt Plättli, savoury cheese fondue, fondue chinoise or raclette à discrétion. The Sandoase offers a winter village with a rustic chalet, Finnish kota and cosy fondue gondolas with a choice of raclette, cheese fondue, fondue chinoise and Tatar hat.
Ice skating on Eglisee or Margarethen
You can do your laps on two artificial ice rinks in the centre of Basel. The programme at the Eglisee ice rink ranges from ice skating for children, teenagers and adults to ice hockey. There are also various events such as ice discos. The Margarethen artificial ice rink is located in Margarethenpark and offers two ice rinks. One of the rinks is covered. Skates can be hired at both ice rinks.
Switzerland's biggest carnival Basel Carnival
Basel Carnival is the largest carnival in Switzerland and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Basel Carnival means 3 days of exceptional festivities. It kicks off on the Monday after Ash Wednesday at 4am sharp - in total darkness. The popular ‘Morgestraich’ transforms the city centre into a sea of lights from hand-painted lanterns. Thousands of dressed-up pipers and drummers accompany their lanterns with music. Until the ‘Ändstraich’ on Thursday morning, again at 4am sharp. What lies in between must be experienced.