Basel Kunstmuseum

Basel Town Hall

Our hotel is at the top of a very steep hill.  No matter which road we take to access it, we have to climb, climb, climb.  But the roads are narrow and mostly traffic free except for the usual bikers.  And the most adorable shops bump up against the street offering up art, food, clothing.  At the base of one hill is the Marktplace where the most beautiful Town Hall oversees a daily market.  The Hall has an open courtyard surrounded by painted walls that you can see in flickr.

After a stop at the Basel Minster and a look at the grand Rhine, we spent the day at the Kunstmuseum where we have a learned appreciation for Swiss art.  Its medieval and renaissance art is lively and forceful.  They have rooms devoted to Holbein, Cranach, Renoir, Cezanne and Monet to name a few.

This evening we decided to have fondue, because...well, we're in Switzerland.  What we got was pot full of enough cheese to feed an army.  Just melted cheese.  No salad.  No vegetables. Nothing but bread.  All of that for $68.  Yes, Switzerland is pricey.  So, that is it for fondue and us.  (Unless I find a chocolate fondue on the desert list)

We have purchased a Swiss Travel Pass which allows us to take the train anywhere in Switzerland for the next 8 days.  It also grants free admission to museums and inner city transportation i.e. trams, gondolas, ferries.  Tomorrow we will use it when we travel to Lucern.  Pictures galore of art at flickr.  Video of Town Hall.