Basel Minster

Basel Minster (Basler Münster), also known as Basel Cathedral is one of the city’s major tourist attractions and is a source of pride for the locals. When you walk the streets of Basel‘s Old town, the soaring, gothic cathedral highlights all of the pastel tiles on the rooftops, with the outlines of its two towers.

The building of Basel Minster started in early eleventh century and since it was badly damaged in an earthquake of 1356, it was completed only in 1500. Red sandstone was the preferred building material for the cathedral because of its red color is distinctive and long-lasting. The Galluspforte (Gallus portal) on the western façade is a magnificent sculptural work. Figures carved on the main (south) façade include St. George slaying the Dragon.

Inside you can see a sandstone walls with a 19th-century lectern and the tombs of Basel’s early bishops, as well as a tall vaults which house the graves of Dutch philosopher Erasmus of Rotterdam and Jacob Bernoulli, a mathematician who discovered the mathematical constant e.

During the Protestant Reformation, the original Catholic Church became reformed Protestant.

You can climb either or both towers: St. Martin’s is 62 m and St. George’s is 65 m and you can have an excellent view of the city, the river and Black Forest in the distance.

There are frequently various cultural events that take place within the square around which the Cathedral, including concerts and festivals. The Pfalz – the terrace offering wonderful views over the Rhine – is one of the most popular viewpoints in the city.