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Basel - Along the Rhine River |
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Ride the ferry boats (Fahren)– Although the first bridge across the great Rhine River was built in the Middle Ages, small ferry boats going back and forth were quite common. And today, kids can take a wooden ferry across the river, it has no motor and silently glides to the far side of the Rhine. | |
A cable strung between the banks on either side of the Rhine. The ferry boat is connected to the longer cable with a second cable (decorated with flags). The ferryman uses the second cable to control the boat, riding the current to go from one landing to the other. |
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There are four different ferry landings – Munster, St. Alban, Klingental, St. Johann. Munster is the most convenient, cathedral on one side, Rheinweg promenade on the east side. The ride is inexpensive, operates daily, is a unique experience - take the ferry more than once. |
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Boat cruises – From Schifflande landing near the Mittlere Brucke (Middle Bridge), take a harbor boat cruise on the Rhine. One and half hour cruises, go up the river past St. Alban Tal with views of the Old Town to Birsfelden, back down the river, and return to the Schifflande. Cruises operate April to October. | ||
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Walk along the Rhine River – Along the Rhine are lovely wide espanalades, go for stroll, and kids can see the boats going up and down and river. | ||
Here's our favorite Rhine walk along the Rhine: |
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Start at the Mittlere Brucke (Middle Bridge). Walk east across the river. Go down the stairs to the wide promenade, the Oberer Rheinweg. While walking along, stop to see a basilisk fountain, and model of the Old Town on the opposite bank. |
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Continue walking to the Wettsteinbrucke. At the bridge, cross back over the river to the west side. |
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Stop to look at the big basilisk statue, then go down the stairs to St. Alban Rheinweg, and continue walking to the Paper Mill and Museum (Papiermuhle), and farther if you like. |
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Basel Paper Mill and Museum (Baseler Papiermuhle) – Growing up with text on screen and digital fonts, kids may find it hard to imagine previous centuries when books and paper were made by hand. At this museum, kids will have an eye opening experience, not only making paper from scratch, and also finding out about the history of writing, type and printing. | ||
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One the first floor, kids can see how paper is made from scratch, then make their own paper, embossed with the Basel coat of arms. First stir up the pulp in a tub, put in a screened frame, pull it out of the water, drain off, then go over to a press, turn the screw to press out all the water. Then paper is "ironed" to complete the process. |
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On the second floor of the museum, in the Scriptorium try writing with ink and quills, or sharpened sticks, tools like those used by monks to illuminate manuscripts. |
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The third floor is dedicated to type and printing with a press. Watch how each letter was cast in a mold with melted aluminum. Also, kids can use a hand printing press to print a sheet with a picture of this paper mill museum. |
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On the fourth floor, kids can make marbled paper, traditionally used as the end paper for books. Paper is dipped in a glue bath, you drip colors over the paper to make a marbled pattern, squeegee off the glue, rinse and dry. |
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Everything in the museum is labeled in German, French, English, and people at the hands-on activities speak English. |
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Muhlegraben – On the St. Alban Rheinweg promenade along the river (one block from the Papiermuhle museum) is a restored section of the remaining Basel old city walls. The wall has crenellated towers, connected with high walls punctuated with square slits. Go inside the wall, to see wooden wall walks (where soldiers would stand, and could shoot out through the slits). | ||
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St. Alban-Tal walk – | ||
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Start at St. Alban-Tor, the old city gate. Walk down the hill on the stairs to St. Alban-Berg. Turn right, until you come to the canal and St. Alban-Tal street. The street and canal are lined with brown and white half-timbered houses. Walk down St. Alban-Tal, going in the direction of the Rhine River. You'll pass by the Paper Mill and Museum, be sure to stop in. When you reach the river and St. Alban Rheinweg, turn right. In one block, there is Muhlegraben old city walls. Walk around the east side of the walls, pick up the path, and go back up the hill to St. Alban-Tor, where you started. |
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Tip: This walk is described starting at St. Alban-Tor (city gate), and walking down toward the Rhine. You could also start at the Paper Mill and Museum, walk around Muhlegraben, go up the path to St. Alban-Tor, then come back down along St. Alban-Tal to the museum, where you started. |
