Question 1

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

Basel's trams and buses share one zone ticket system, and a day ticket for the city and its suburbs was CHF 10.70 in October 2026. The Basel day ticket covers zones 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15 and stays valid into the early hours of the next morning. The reduced fare was CHF 7.50. A short-distance ticket was CHF 2.60 and is valid for 30 minutes and up to four stops. Children under 6 ride free, and ages 6 to 16 pay the reduced fare. Check fares before you go. Tickets are sold at ticket machines, at the BVB customer center on Barfüsserplatz, in the TNW Tickets app and at the SBB railway station. Trams 1 and 2 run from the SBB station to the Kunstmuseum stop.

Question 2

Tipping and Currency

Accepted Answer

Tipping is not required in Switzerland, but in many restaurants people leave about 10 percent or round up the bill. Many places in Switzerland show prices in both francs and euros and accept euros, giving change in francs. Cards are taken almost everywhere in Switzerland, and cash is still in common use.

Question 3

The Münster and the Kunstmuseum

Accepted Answer

The Kunstmuseum's collection is free to enter on the first Sunday of each month and late in the day from Tuesday to Friday. The free hours for the Kunstmuseum collection are 5 to 6 pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 5 to 8 pm on Wednesday. The Kunstmuseum's main building and new building, on St. Alban-Graben, are open from 10 am to 6 pm Tuesday to Sunday and until 8 pm on Wednesday. The museum is closed on Mondays. An adult ticket that covers the Kunstmuseum's collection and every exhibition was CHF 35 in October 2026. Check the price before you go. The Münster is open to visitors on weekdays from 10 am to 5 pm in summer and from 11 am to 4 pm in winter, and from about 11:30 am on Sundays. It is closed on January 1, Good Friday and December 24. The Münster's cloister is open daily from 8 am until dusk.

Question 4

History

Accepted Answer

Basel was the seat of a prince-bishop from the 11th century and joined the Swiss Confederation in 1501. An earthquake in 1356 left a large part of the city in ruins. The Münster was heavily damaged and was rebuilt in the 14th and 15th centuries. From 1431 to 1449 a church council, the Council of Basel, met in the city. The University of Basel, the oldest in Switzerland, was founded in 1460. Erasmus of Rotterdam and Paracelsus later taught there. On June 9, 1501, Basel joined the Swiss Confederation as its eleventh canton. In 1833, after a short civil war, the surrounding countryside broke away from the city and formed the half-canton of Basel-Landschaft.

Question 5

Traveling with Family

Accepted Answer

The Münster sells a quiz for children aged 8 and up and a puzzle booklet for ages 4 to 7, which were CHF 1 each in October 2026. The Münster's children's sheets are sold at the welcome desk inside. Ask there which languages are available. Each of the Münster's two towers is climbed by a narrow staircase of about 250 steps. The climb was CHF 6 for adults and is free for children under 14. Check prices before you go. Visitors are let into the Münster towers only in groups of two or more, and nobody is admitted between noon and 12:20 pm. During the Christmas market a children's area called the Märchenwald is set up on Münsterplatz, with candle dipping, gingerbread decorating and a puppet theater. Children up to 12 enter the Kunstmuseum free.

Question 6

Accessibility

Accepted Answer

The landing stages for river cruise ships at St. Johann, Klybeck and Dreiländereck are designed to be barrier-free and can be reached by wheelchair. The St. Johann terminal has an elevator and an escalator between the riverside promenade and the lower quay level. Ask your cruise line whether the gangway between the landing stage and the ship will be step-free on the day. The Kunstmuseum's exhibition rooms are wheelchair accessible, and the museum has barrier-free toilets. At the main building, wheelchair users can open the door beside the revolving door without help.

Question 7

Shopping

Accepted Answer

The Kunstmuseum's shops are open to anyone during museum hours, without a museum ticket. Most stores in Switzerland are open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6:30 pm and on Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm. Many Swiss stores are closed on Sundays. Stores in train stations and airports stay open. The Christmas market stalls on Barfüsserplatz sell tree decorations and gifts.

Basel

More views of Basel

Good to know

What to Expect