Basel Old Town Shopping Walk (Self Guided), Basel

Basel’s Old Town is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the city. It is a place where you can see buildings from the 15th century as well as contemporary structures. The architectural diversity of this well-preserved historical area is stunning as are the shopping opportunities.

On the left bank of the Rhine is Grossbasel, which encompasses the Old Town and many mainstream shops. On the right bank of the Rhine is Kleinbasel, which takes in Kleinbasel Old Town and a number of small independent shops. One way to get across the river to explore both these areas is to walk on Mittlere Brücke, one of the oldest and longest Rhine crossings.

A good place to start your shopping expedition is at Claraplatz in Kleinbasel, the beginning of Basel's shopping mile. The principle shopping street here is Freii Strasse, and it is home to several upmarket designer and fashion boutiques. For more designer brands, explore the stores and boutiques lining the historic alleyways of the Old Town's Spalenberg district.

Among the other exciting places to shop are the markets. Purchase fresh produce and local specialties at the daily market at Marktplatz. For antiques, vintage clothing and unusual finds it has to be the flea market at Barfüsserplatz. It takes place every second and forth Wednesday. There is also a new goods market here every Thursday.

Take this self-guided walk to experience shopping in Basel.

Image Courtesy of Flickr and ritsch48.

How it works: Download the app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store to your mobile phone or tablet. The app turns your mobile device into a personal tour guide and its built-in GPS navigation functions guide you from one tour stop to next. The app works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walks in Basel

Map Instructions: (1) Click the "Nearby Sights" button to view the nearby attractions; (2) click a map pin to see sight information.

Guide Name: Basel Old Town Shopping Walk
Guide Location: Switzerland » Basel (See other walking tours in Basel)
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Sightseeing)
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.9 Km or 0.6 Miles

Sights Featured in This Walk

WalkBuilder (customize this walk)

Use the WalkBuilder tool below to customize this walk to suit your interests. Instructions: click

at the upper right corner in the map above to view other sights in the city. To learn more about a sight, click a map pin. Click the “+” or “–” to add or remove a sight from the walk. To reorder the selected sights, simply drag and move them up or down the list in the left column.

Click here to view route map

Enter a name for your custom walk, along with your email address, in the fields below. You will receive the instructions for retrieving your custom walk in the GPSmyCity app by email. The GPSmyCity app offers turn-by-turn travel directions to guide you from one attraction to the next.
Walk Name*:
Email*:

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I access my walking tour in Basel?
Save your walking tour on the website. Then download the GPSmyCity app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and sign in to your GPSmyCity account. Next, download “Basel Map and Walking Tours” within the app. Your walk will appear on the Walks screen.

2. How do I view other attractions in Basel?
At the upper-right corner of the map above, click the “Nearby Sights” button to show or hide other sights in the city. Click a map pin to view details about a sight. To add a sight to your walk, find it in the right column of the WalkBuilder tool above and click the “+” button next to it.

3. How do I re-arrange the sight order?
In the left column of the WalkBuilder tool, drag a sight to move it up or down the list. Then click “Click here to view route map”. Repeat this process until the route meets your needs.

4. Can I add my hotel to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add your hotel as the starting point, the ending point, or both (creating a loop route). This feature is currently available only in the GPSmyCity app.

5. Can I add my own sights to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add sightss that are not in our database and include them in your walk. To do so, sign in to your GPSmyCity account on the website or use the GPSmyCity app.

6. How many sights can be included in a walking tour?
For technical reasons, the number of sights in a walking tour is currently capped at 20. This limit may be increased over time.

Walking Tours in Basel, Switzerland

Create Your Own Walk in Basel

Creating your own self-guided walk in Basel is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Basel's Historical Churches

Basel is the city of churches. Indeed, nowhere else in Switzerland will you find as many of them, both old and new, as here. Despite serious losses to the Reformation period, a good number of local temples have survived. Today, the vast majority of religious buildings, including the listed medieval Basel Minster, belong to the Evangelical Reformed Church.

The towers and spires of ancient... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles

Basel Introduction Walking Tour

The modern and bustling city of Basel gets its name from a third-century Roman castle that stood here. It is likely the modernization of "Villa Basilius," or "Estate of Basilius." Interestingly, the basilisk has been closely associated with the city and used in the coat of arms and coins. The association is likely simple assonance rather than anything more profound.

However,... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles