Altstadt

If you stand in the middle of the Marktplatz, or even just watch river traffic from the Mittlere Rheinbrücke, it's easy to envision the Basel of centuries ago. On a bend of the Rhine, Basel's historic center is full of majestic Gothic spires and side streets that are largely unchanged since the 1600s. Still, woven through its delicately preserved architecture are impressive state-of-the-art museums and miles of shop-lined pedestrian zones.