Visiting the Best Cities in Switzerland During Art Basel

After having been in Miami Art Basel twice, it was time for me to go to the real Art Basel in Basel to visit the original art show. While many people only go to Miami Art Basel because of the fantastic parties, Art Basel in Switzerland mostly attracts art collectors and serious art lovers and gallery owners. This was my first time in Switzerland, so I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to visit some of the best cities in Switzerland as well during my trip. I believe that during Art Basel, it is the best time to visit Switzerland, because people from all over the World show up in this small town and there are great parties. Travel to Switzerland was very easy from London. It took a little longer than an hour to arrive to the European capital of modern art.

Read more about the Best Hotels in Basel, Switzerland.

Art Basel – The Best Cities in Switzerland

These Twins are at Every Art Show – The Best Cities in Switzerland

Damien Hirst – The Best Cities in Switzerland

The Best Cities in Switzerland

Basel

Art Basel in Switzerland is a completely different from Art Basel in Miami. Switzerland is one of the most expensive destinations I have ever been to. So, if you are broke and unemployed like me, I do not recommend you to go there. Overall I had a wonderful time, because I saw many interesting places in Basel and the scenery was beautiful, but a trip to Switzerland can be costly. Basel is a medium size university town, with germanic architecture. It is one of the famous cities in Switzerland that tourists should visit. Especially those who love art. It is definitely one of the best places in Switzerland.

Read about the six most scenic places to visit in Switzerland.

Read about what to do in Interlaken in Switzerland.

I flew to Basel for the Art Show. I met up with friends from New York and we went to explore the city of Basel. It is a small city so one could figure out the place in half an hour.

Basel, Switzerland

We went to explore some art at the pavilion. There were many many buildings full of really cool modern art. We went to the main pavilion then we visited Scope (another exhibit) and some other buildings that were all full of really cool art. At Foundation Beyeler, there was a Jeff Koons exhibit and he was signing his posters at the opening party. Pamela Anderson showed up there.

Cocktail Party at Foundation Beyeler

Jeff Koonst Installation in Basel

There was a huge tree installation outside of the Foundation Beyeler that was cut into a shape of a head of a dog. There were several parties at the garden of the Foundation Beyeler throughout the week. They were usually more conservative parties with people in the art industry. We met the famous gallery owner Tony Shafrazi from New York as well. He is famous for creating many big names in the industry.

Evian and Montreux

I met up with a friend I knew from Budapest and we took the train together to Lausanne and then we took a boat over to France and visited the city of Evian. Travel in Switzerland was easy and comfortable, but fairly pricey by train. Read about the Golden Pass train route in Switzerland.

The boat ride was only about half an hour long from Lausanne to Evian. In Evian, we went to the source of the mineral water and drank some of it, took some photos and then returned back to Switzerland. If you are wondering where to go in Switzerland on a day trip, check out Lausanne, Evian and Monreux. These cities are some of the best places to see in Switzerland.

Evian, Switzerland

After that we took the train to Montreux. It was a beautiful city right on the lake surrounded by mountains. Montreux is famous for its Jazz Festival. The town was very picturesque. We also found Freddy Mercury’s statue in Montreux. This tiny coastal town was one of my favorite places to visit in Switzerland.

Freddy Mercury Statue in Montreux, Switzerland

He stayed here to get treatment before he died. This city was truly beautiful. We really enjoyed spending a day here. It was a very rewarding day trip around Switzerland and I truly enjoyed seeing these beautiful places. I feel like it is always good to mix partying with a bit of sightseeing.

We did attend the closing party of the Art Show. However, it was mellow and conservative just like most Art Parties we had seen in Basel. It was more like a cocktail party on the top of the building of the Art Fair. This art show attracts artist, art collectors and buyers from all over the World. It is definitely one of the top things to do in Switzerland.

Zurich

After the art show was over, we went to Zurich to explore the city. Zurich was another city that we could discover in a few hours. It was a beautiful green city, but there were not many things to do in Zurich. The architecture and the layout of the city reminded me of Germany. There were a few big churches in the town. We spent the afternoon around the lake. We found some really nice bars to hang out at by the lake. I spent my last day in Zurich in the area called Kuesnacht. It was an upper-middle class neighbourhood, where many famous people like Tina Turner had houses. It was one of the best places to visit in Switzerland. It was very peaceful and pretty.

Kuesnacht, Zurich

It s a wealthy area by the lake of Zurich, where my friends reside. It was very beautiful, but somewhat dull. Zurich was a peaceful and mellow place with some beautiful landscapes and sites. Overall 24 hours of Zurich was more than enough for me and I was ready to get back to London.

switzerland tourist attractions, what to do in switzerland, switzerland points of interest, switzerland places to visit, switzerland best places, tourist attractions in switzerland, places in switzerland, what to see in switzerland, tourist places in switzerland, cities of switzerland, things to see in switzerland, switzerland things to do, best of switzerland, basel switzerland points of interest, places to see in zurich, top places to visit in switzerland, top things to do in switzerland, best things to do in switzerland, places to visit switzerland, cities to visit in switzerland, switzerland tourist places, switzerland best places to visit,

Pin It Up!

Save

About Barbara

Barbara is a London based luxury travel and lifestyle blogger. She started traveling through Paris, London, New York, Milan, Tokyo at the age of 17 to conquer the World as a model. Ever since, she has visited 67 countries. She writes about the most exclusive jet-set destinations such as Cannes, Venice Film Festivals, Monaco Grand Prix, Oscar Parties in LA, Fashion Weeks in Milan or Paris as well as yacht parties in St-Tropez, Miami Art Basel, Biennale in Venice, Frieze in London or the Royal Wedding in Monaco.