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
Housing
Unlike other abroad programs at UC, the Switzerland exchange program does not help you with housing. Once you are accepted into the program, FHNW does provide you with the following website suggestions:
After researching all those options, I found WoVe to be by far the best bet. WoVe is an organization that owns a bunch of hostel-like buildings in and around Basel. They provide housing for university students and allow you to rent furnished rooms for as long as you need (no year-long contracts!). There are a lot of options, location and amenity-wise, depending on your budget.
I lived in a “dorm” where I had my own bedroom and bathroom, but I shared a kitchen with the floor (10 other students, mostly exchange). I paid 640 CH a month (the Swiss franc is pretty much equivalent to the US dollar as of 2018). You will pay more if you want more personal accommodations (your own kitchen, a larger living space, etc.) or less if you’re willing to share. I honestly couldn’t have been happier with my living space. The room was clean and functional. At first, I was very hesitant about sharing a kitchen, because I wasn’t sure how it exactly worked or if it depended on the honesty system. Luckily, it ended up working out very smoothly. The kitchen included a few refrigerators and small freezers, cabinet cupboards, a stovetop and oven, microwave, electric kettle, trash cans, and table and chairs. The refrigerators were internally segmented into cubbies, one for each room number. You then had a key to lock up your own food. The same system applied in the freezer. Besides this, each room number had an available cupboard shelf to store various items, but it was not protected in any way. No one had problems with theft, but I kept most of my non-perishables in my room anyway. In addition, pots, pans, plates, cups, utensils, etc. were provided by WoVe. This system will vary from location to location, but you can contact WoVe with questions about a specific location's amenities.
FHNW advises that exchange students arrive a few weeks before the beginning of the semester in order to get acquainted with the culture. I arrived only a week prior to the start of classes because I had previous experience abroad. For me, that was plenty of time, but it comes down to what makes you feel the most comfortable. Book an earlier flight if you know you need a longer time to settle in, or book a later one if you are a quick adjuster. If you haven’t been able to find accommodations before you arrive, visit Couch-surfing or AirBnb in Basel to find a temporary room.
< My building!