Basel is an incredible Swiss city, and fall is one of the best times to be there. The Rhine river runs through the city, and is a perfect place for a swim or a ferry trip. Basel has a vibrant cultural scene with more than 40 museums, 25 theaters, operas, and ballets, and multiple large festivals. The “Herbstmesse”, or Autumn Fair, is one of the biggest fairs in Switzerland in October and November with food, stalls, and rides. The “Weihnachtsmarkt”, or Christmas Market is also a longtime tradition during the holiday season. Basel is also an important city for foreign trade and pharmaceutical industries.
Other fun facts:
-
Roger Federer was born here! And every time he wins a championship, he is presented with a cow in the Marktplatz…
-
You can drink out of the water fountains you see around town!
-
Läckerli, a sort of hard gingerbread, was invented in Basel.
-
Basel’s namesake and its heraldic animal, is the basilisk.
Culture
UC–FHNW Exchange Program
City Registration
Once you arrive, you have just two weeks to register for a residence permit at your canton’s migration office, so make sure you don’t forget to do that! Use this link to the Kanton Basel-Stadt site to find more information about registering and I’d suggest even downloading the forms ahead of time. Make sure to bring all your paperwork/contracts and expect to wait at the Kanton Basel-Stadt office (it’s similar to our DMV!). It costs 25CH at the time. You must de-register before you leave as well, at least 2-3 weeks before you leave. You can do this online or at the office.
In addition, you will receive various fee charges from the city. These can range from 50CH to 300CH. If you want to know more, you can take the charges into the kanton office and ask, otherwise pay them on time at xe.com or wherever you pay international bills.