If you have your bestie, mom or sister (FINALLY!) coming to town and you’re searching for a unique experience to spend some quality time together or if you want to go on a city trip somewhere in Switzerland – Basel Tourism now offers the coolest package deal that is TAILORED TO YOU and makes your time together even more special.

How does it work?
When booking your hotel, you can choose a voucher for a number of experiences that you can share together in Basel:

• a voucher for 1 large piece of pizza and 1 soft drink per person at VITO or
• a voucher for one welcome drink of your choice per person at the Teufelhof Bar or
• a voucher for one CHF20 gift coupon per person which can be used for a treatment or a product plus 1 drink of your choice per person at the Schminkbar Basel
  
  PLUS the BaselCard that is included in your overnight stay gives you:
• Free use of public transport
• Free WiFi
• 50% off cultural and leisure activities

Click HERE for more info.

I was invited by Basel Tourism to experience this package for myself and decided to do it when my mom was here. We don’t see each other as often as we used to before the pandemic and I wanted to make her visit more special and squeeze in some quality mom+daughter time in my beautiful city. Below I am sharing our experiences and some tips on how to make the most out of your time in Basel.

Our Girlfriends’ Getaway:

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We stayed in the new, beautiful hotel Märthof located directly at Marktplatz. The rooms are beautifully designed and offer ultimate comfort and easy-going luxury. A highlight to me: the unique VIEW – overlooking the Marktplatz and Rathaus. The guests have access to the wellness area, fitness room and a beautiful roof terrace where you can sit and relax – in my opinion it was the perfect hotel for this mini-vacation – it had everything girls might want on their getaway and both me and my mom really enjoyed our stay there.

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WELCOME DRINK AT THE TEUFELHOF BAR:

Teufelhof is a true gem on the map of Basel: it’s located in the heart of Basel’s Old Town; in two knocked-together historical townhouses from the 18th century. We came in the evening and were welcomed in their beautiful bar and sat outdoor, where we could enjoy a lively summer night drinking Aperol Spritz.

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CITY STROLL:

We spent a few hours wandering in the old town afterwards (Teufelhof makes a great starting point as it’s in one of my favourite streets – Heuberg. We finished the walk with some sunset watching from the Mittlere Bruecke and then headed back to the hotel (just 2 minutes away from there). My tip for strolling the old town: don’t miss my favourites, Spalenberg and Heuberg and if you have more time, head to St. Alban – it’s the most beautiful part of the old town in my opinion.

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WINE WITH A VIEW AT THE HOTEL:

We decided to get a glass of wine at the bar in Märthof (the restaurant and its bar ‘Bohemia’ are really beautiful and I am planning to try their food soon too – sadly it was fully booked when we were staying) so we headed to their beautiful terrace – best views, best company and a beautiful way to finish the day.

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BREAKFAST AND SHOPPING:

We started the day with a tasty breakfast at the hotel and then headed out to enjoy the Saturday buzz in the town – starting with the market at Marktplatz, followed by Freie Strasse and some shopping together. There’s no better better company for shopping than Mama 🙂 we had a blast! We had lunch on the go – Bretzels from the stand outside Globus. It’s kind of our tradition to get these when we are in the city together. Sharing a list of places where to have brunch and dinner/drinks at below.

A few tips for shopping:
1. Set and Sekt – for minimalistic, high quality timeless pieces.
2. Molemin – beautiful clothes and toys for the little ones.
3. Hyazinth – skincare and perfumes.
4. Boutique Danoise – scandinavian furniture and deco.

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MANICURE AT THE SCHMINKBAR:

It’s such a cool spot and not your typical beauty salon – it has such a cosy atmosphere, a bar where you can order coffee or prosecco, beautiful interiors and quality service. We booked a manicure that we had together, sitting next to each other. (You can get the voucher of CHF 20 per person for your beauty time with your girlfriend!).

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SAILING THE RHINE WITH PIZZA FROM VITO:

We were invited to get on the Taxiboot – we got VITO pizza on the go and headed to the meeting point by the Mittlere Bruecke. It was a blast – felt like a mediterrean experience with the views over Basel’s old town. Prosecco, pizza, me and my mama (and the rest of my family) we loved it! It was a beautiful way to end our special time. My mom is already back home as I am writing it – and I can tell you I am so happy I brought her with me. I will cherish these memories until we see each other again.

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A few tips on what to do in Basel:

DRINKS AND FOOD – a few ideas from the list of my favourites

1. Consum Bar in Kleinbasel – for tasty apero boards and a wide selection of wines.

2. Il Giardino Urbano – hidden urban garden with tasty drinks and pizza on a thin crust.

3. La Manufacture – for tasty breakfasts and bagles.

4. Nón Lá – Vietnamese with Spalentor views.

5. Zum Goldenen Sternen – for an upscale dining experience in the old St. Alban district (also nice to combine with a stroll in Basel’s “Little Venice”.

6. Le Rhin Bleu – cool spot for a relaxed lunch or dinner – located directly on the Rhein and perfect for sunset watching.

7. Buvettes – a must do when visiting in the summer, to experience the city in the locals’ way.

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BRUNCH

1. Nomad Basel – for delicious buffet food, best shakshuka in town and live music.

2. Zum Onkel – favourite spot on the Kleinbasel side – cosy bistro-like atmosphere and tasty homemade food.

3. Bistro Reithalle – it’s in Riehen so you can combine it with a visit to the Fondation Beyeler or strolls at the Wenkenhof Park.

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SWIMMING

If you guys are not brave enough to swim in the Rhein or dip in the fountains like the locals do, you can try one of these:

1. Naturbad Riehen -on the edge of the landscape park Wiese, with a small beach and cool cafe and area for swimming and diving.

2. Gartenbad Bettingen – surrounded by a lot of trees and palms, large pool and Rhyschanzli buvette serving really tasty food.

3. Rheinbad St. Johann – swimming facility built on the Rhein with lots of space to sunbathe.

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MUSEUMS (50% off with your BaselCard!) – Basel is Switzerland’s capital of art, but to name just 3:

1. Kunstmuseum – my absolute favourite – with one of the greatest art collections in Switzerland

2. Fondation Beyeler – also must visit! – they have really cool exhibitions.

3. Tinguely Museum – where you can find the creative works of Jean Tinguely.

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WHAT ELSE?

Try the “Basel Bucket List” I created awhile ago for your ultimate Basel experience!

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Hope you guys find our experiences and my tips useful. Enjoy your time in Basel!

This blogpost was written in collaboration with Basel Tourism. You’ll find more info about the Girlfriends’ Getaway package HERE.