Basel is best known for its museums. I have not been to this museum yet, but I plan to visit the Paper Mill Museum next time. If you do plan on visiting any museum during the holiday season, it would be best to research their holiday hours ahead of time. Enjoy your trip.
Basel has two modest markets, the Münsterplatz market and the slightly larger Barfüsserplatz market. You must see them on your own, because you won't see them with Tauck on the Christmas Markets on the Rhine tour. In the afternoon of the day we arrived, we went for a walk from the Les Trois Rois our hotel (fantastic hot chocolate), crossed the Rhine on the old stone bridge, the Mittlere Brücke, then walked along the riverfront. We crossed back across the Rhine on one of the pedestrian (current-powered) cable ferries, the Münster Fähre "Leu". On the embankment above the ferry landing is the historic old Gothic Bassler Münster Church and the adjacent Christmas market. Not far from there is the Barfüsserplatz market (a sign pointed the way) and another old church the Barfuesserkirche which is now the Basel Historical Museum. This area of town has several other small museums. We returned to the markets at night. Make sure you see the Barfüsserplatz market during nighttime illumination.
The next day, before the Welcome Dinner, we walked through the altstadt (old town) to the one of the last of the original old city gates, The Gate of Spalen. The city is criss-crossed with Trams. On the return to our hotel our friends stopped at a popular bakery to get one of Basel's famous Grittibänz, a sweetened bread man.
@AlanS - I always appreciate your detailed comments and beautiful photos.
We will be in Basel Nov 20-21, a couple of days too early for the Christmas Markets. Perhaps they'll be mostly set-up then and I can take a peek. Glad you mentioned the pedestrian cable ferries; sounds like a fun way to get around.
We will be going on the Christmas Markets Along the Danube beginning Dec 6, so we'll see many markets then.
The 2023 XMAS Markets in Basel start Thursday, 23 November, you'll miss by just a few days. Hopefully some will open early. My description of the ferry was a bit lacking- while there are electric trams everywhere on land, I was referring to the 2 or 3 little ferry boats that cross the Rhine. They are connected by a short cable to a pulley that rides along a large cable that spans the river; high enough for barges, etc. to pass underneath. The un-powered ferry moves from one side to the other when the current pushes against the large rudder when it is angled one way or the other.
From April to October, cable ferries (rollfähre) operate between Spitz-Arnsdorf and Weissenkirchen-St. Lorenz as does a motorized ferry (motorfähre) between Dürnstein-Rossatz. I thought the Dürnstein-Rossatz ferry was a cable ferry, but I could not see the cable in my photos.
The ferry is just visible, in the top center of the photo:
Comments
The Christmas markets in Basel are terrific and extensive, you’ll be able to spend quite a bit of time there.
Basel is best known for its museums. I have not been to this museum yet, but I plan to visit the Paper Mill Museum next time. If you do plan on visiting any museum during the holiday season, it would be best to research their holiday hours ahead of time. Enjoy your trip.
Basel has two modest markets, the Münsterplatz market and the slightly larger Barfüsserplatz market. You must see them on your own, because you won't see them with Tauck on the Christmas Markets on the Rhine tour. In the afternoon of the day we arrived, we went for a walk from the Les Trois Rois our hotel (fantastic hot chocolate), crossed the Rhine on the old stone bridge, the Mittlere Brücke, then walked along the riverfront. We crossed back across the Rhine on one of the pedestrian (current-powered) cable ferries, the Münster Fähre "Leu". On the embankment above the ferry landing is the historic old Gothic Bassler Münster Church and the adjacent Christmas market. Not far from there is the Barfüsserplatz market (a sign pointed the way) and another old church the Barfuesserkirche which is now the Basel Historical Museum. This area of town has several other small museums. We returned to the markets at night. Make sure you see the Barfüsserplatz market during nighttime illumination.
The next day, before the Welcome Dinner, we walked through the altstadt (old town) to the one of the last of the original old city gates, The Gate of Spalen. The city is criss-crossed with Trams. On the return to our hotel our friends stopped at a popular bakery to get one of Basel's famous Grittibänz, a sweetened bread man.
We had quite a colorful and jovial tillerman!
@AlanS - I always appreciate your detailed comments and beautiful photos.
We will be in Basel Nov 20-21, a couple of days too early for the Christmas Markets. Perhaps they'll be mostly set-up then and I can take a peek. Glad you mentioned the pedestrian cable ferries; sounds like a fun way to get around.
We will be going on the Christmas Markets Along the Danube beginning Dec 6, so we'll see many markets then.
The 2023 XMAS Markets in Basel start Thursday, 23 November, you'll miss by just a few days.
Hopefully some will open early. My description of the ferry was a bit lacking- while there are electric trams everywhere on land, I was referring to the 2 or 3 little ferry boats that cross the Rhine. They are connected by a short cable to a pulley that rides along a large cable that spans the river; high enough for barges, etc. to pass underneath. The un-powered ferry moves from one side to the other when the current pushes against the large rudder when it is angled one way or the other. 
From April to October, cable ferries (rollfähre) operate between Spitz-Arnsdorf and Weissenkirchen-St. Lorenz as does a motorized ferry (motorfähre) between Dürnstein-Rossatz. I thought the Dürnstein-Rossatz ferry was a cable ferry, but I could not see the cable in my photos.
The ferry is just visible, in the top center of the photo: