Christmas Market in Basel

Having done an Avalon Waterways cruise along the Rhine River in October, I yearn to do this cruise at Christmas time. Germany really knows how to do Christmas Market. Most cruises start in Basel, Switzerland - where every Saturday is a feast of cheeses, breads, fruits and good cheer. The people of Basel are friendly and the market sellers that come down from the mountains are even friendlier.

A great website for information on the Christmas market in Basel and other locations can be found here. Basel is such a magical time any time of the year, but it must be especially beautiful at Christmas. I know what I will ask from Santa for next year!

Photos courtesy of christmasmarkets.com and all from Basel, Switzerland.

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!

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)