Basel’s Fifth Season
Travel
Audio By Carbonatix
By Kevin McCullough
Somewhere in Switzerland this weekend, a child will get off a Ferris wheel, look up at a cathedral, and ask to go around again. I’d be inclined to say yes. There are only so many chances in life to see the rooftops of an old Swiss city from a fairground gondola.
That’s the scene at Münsterplatz, one of the stops at Basel’s Herbstmesse, or Autumn Fair. Basel has been holding its fair since 1471, and it still rings in the occasion with a bell at St. Martin’s Church. Locals call it their fifth season. Spend an evening following the lights from one square to the next, and you can see why a couple of weeks on the calendar warrant a name of their own.
I’d start at Münsterplatz as dusk settles. The red sandstone of Basel Minster, the glow of the wheel, and the people drifting across the square make a good argument for standing still a while. Then head to Petersplatz, where the Hääfelimäärt market spreads out beneath the trees. Browse the ceramics and handicrafts and try some Magenbrot, a sweet spiced biscuit associated with the fair. Buy a little more than you think you’ll eat. The walk back has a way of taking care of the difference.
What appeals to me is how much of Basel you get to see between stops. The fair spreads across several city squares and an indoor hall. A trip from the cathedral to a market stall becomes an excuse to look down a side street, admire a doorway, or stop for something warm. If somebody in your party wants the bigger rides, make time for Messeplatz. If everyone’s happy browsing, Petersplatz can be the afternoon.
For readers already in the area, the dates make a difference: most of this year’s fairgrounds close Sunday, November 8, while the Petersplatz market continues through Tuesday, November 10. If you’re filing this away for another year, give yourself two evenings. You can ride the wheel on the first and spend the second finding the stall you swore you’d remember how to get back to.
The Christmas markets will have their turn. I’d happily come to Basel a few weeks earlier, while there are still autumn leaves underfoot and a Ferris wheel turning beside the cathedral. And if the child asks for another ride? By then, I suspect I’ll have asked first.
