Elsässertor

Basel


Designed by world-renowned Basel architects Herzog & de Meuron, this angular glass commercial building (its name means 'Alsace Gate') was completed in 2004. Although its shape doesn't seem unusual now, it was a cutting-edge design at the time of its inception. Three of its glass faces are coloured red, white and blue in tribute to Basel's French neighbours.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Basel attractions

1. Museum für Wohnkultur

0.3 MILES

Housed in the beautiful Haus zum Kirschgarten building (1780), this lovely museum features two floors of the house with rooms laid out immaculately in the…

2. Tinguely Brunnen

0.39 MILES

With its riot of wacky machines spewing and shooting forth water, this zany fountain offers a taste of the madcap moving sculptures to be found in the…

3. Spielzeug Welten Museum Basel

0.4 MILES

Adults and kids alike love this fascinating and lovingly curated fantasy land claiming the world’s biggest collection of teddy bears and a slew of…

4. Museum für Musik

0.45 MILES

This museum, featuring the nation's largest collection of musical instruments – a veritable orchestra – focuses on a period spanning five centuries and…

5. Museum für Geschichte

0.45 MILES

This flagship of three museums operating under the banner of 'Historisches Museum Basel' (Basel Historical Museum), which opened in 1894, is well worth a…

6. Barfüsserplatz

0.45 MILES

This bustling square is named after the barefoot Franciscan friars who founded the eponymous Barfüsserkirche (Barefooted Ones Church) here in the 14th…

7. Antikenmuseum Basel

0.49 MILES

This multilevel museum contains Switzerland’s most comprehensive collection of ancient artefacts, dating from the heyday of the pharaohs in Egypt to Roman…

8. Kunstmuseum Basel

0.51 MILES

Housing the most comprehensive collection of public art in Switzerland, this superb fine arts museum reopened in mid-2016 after updates to the existing…