Top Reasons to Go to Basel

Three corners: Not many cities offer a more cosmopolitan mix. Here Switzerland merges with Germany and France, and Basel is home to some 150 nationalities.

Art old and new: This city of the arts has galleries full of Old Master paintings and some pictures so contemporary the paint is still drying—nearly 40 museums cater to every taste.

Fasnacht: Each spring during its three-day Lenten celebration the city's streets are filled with spectacularly costumed revelers, bands, and pipers.

Münster madness: Not only is this cathedral an amazing piece of architecture, but it also offers fabulous views of the city and the River Rhine.

Noble dust: A short boat ride from Basel, the Colonia Augusta Raurica is the oldest Roman settlement on the Rhine, complete with a restored 1st-century-BC theater.