Switzerland Guide
Basel
The Münster
Basel's cathedral, the impressive Münster, was built in the thirteenth century of red sandstone with a patterned roof and rebuilt following an earthquake in 1356. The tower of St George, on the left of the main frontage, has some white stonework dating from the original church (consecrated in 1019), as well as a thirteenth-century statue of the saint impaling a dragon.
Inside, the north aisle holds the tomb of the Renaissance humanist Erasmus. Close by is the St Vincent panel, a Romanesque relief from around 1100 telling the story of the martyr who was killed in 312 AD. The lacy pulpit was carved – incredibly – from a single block of stone in 1486. On the north side of the choir, which has some intricate capitals, is the tomb of Queen Anna, wife of Rudolf of Habsburg, who chose to be buried in Basel alongside her three-year-old son Karl, in an attempt to make up for her husband's cruelty while ruling the town during the 1270s. In the crypt you'll find ninth-century remains of an earlier cathedral along with some late-Romanesque frescoes.
One of the highlights of Basel is a wander through the memorably atmospheric cloisters adjoining the cathedral to the south, filled to bursting point with timeworn tombs and memorial stones. You emerge onto the Pfalz, an open, tree-lined terraced bastion behind the cathedral choir which overlooks the Rhine and gives views as far as the Black Forest. Carved elephants and grotesque creatures support the external arches of the choir, and round the corner, on the north side of the church, is the St Gallus Doorway, a rich piece of Romanesque carving, with Christ at top centre.
Opening time: Easter– Oct Mon– Fri 10am–5pm, Sat 10am–4pm, Sun 1–5pm; rest of year Mon– Sat 11am–4pm, Sun 2–4pm
Price: Free