"Gargoyles & Graffiti"chronicles architectural elements that I find interesting or unique in my travels. Gargoyles are my passion, but today graffiti (which I hate but am learning to love as it is everywhere) is as much a part of architecture as the gargoyles and decorative railings that thrill me.

Monday, November 28, 2011

What Church is This in Basel, Switzerland?

Is this the Munster Cathedral in Basel?
I really need some help from my European readers. Is this photo above of the Munster Cathedral in Basel, Switzerland? It looks like it from this photo, but in a few of the other exterior photos and in all of the interior photos, I cannot find any matches online. All the photos I find look very different, especially the interior photos. Please, readers, help me out. Let me know if you can.










The Munster Cathedral in Basel has an interesting past as it started as a Catholic cathedral, but it has been a Protestant Cathedral since 1529, of the order of the Swiss Reform Church. More fascinating information on this Cathedral can be found on wikipedia by clicking here.














From the reading I did today, it appears there are numerous chapels and what looks like an area for information that is gated, please help me identify. It is driving me crazy! TIA.


Near by gargoyle-themed trees
No post would be complete without at least one gargoyle!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Basel, Switzerland: So Great

me in Basel wearing clogs

My niece and I took a river cruise from Basel to Amsterdam a few years back. We stayed a few days in Basel beforehand, and I was super impressed with this great town. There was so much to see and do, from the Saturday food market to the wonderful architecture. We even rode the local train on every imaginable route. A two day pass on the trains was included in the price of our hotel stay.


Basel Marlplatz (or City Hall)

The market we visited on Saturday was incredible from the fresh breads and cheeses to the guy wearing mutton chops and a funny hat. I will try to figure out a way to download my photos. Right now I only have access to my niece's photos as they are on disk. Mine are on a memory card from Sony and I need some kind of adapter to access them. Will search online and see if I can find out where to buy it. 


Flower market area


Wonderful architectural details of Market area








Note the sloping roofs on the old houses & the gargoyle-themed trees


Basel is "Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany. With 830,000 inhabitants in the tri-national urban agglomeration as of 2004, Basel is Switzerland's second-largest urban area." (Wikipedia) If you would like more information on Basel from wikipedia, click here






Street fun in Basel






If you want to travel to Basel and stay in a great hotel, check out the Grand Hotel les Trois Rois. I didn't stay there but it is breathtakingly beautiful. If you would like more info on this hotel, click here.


Grand Hotel les Trois Rois (photo from their website)