Did you know? Basel is the historic cradle of Swiss rock: it is in this city that the first Swiss rock record was recorded, in 1957: “Chimpanzee rock” of the Hula Hawaiians!
To start the ride smoothly, take a coffee at the restaurant-bar-gallery of rock-museum the only foundation, located in the heart of the old Basel, Gerbergässlein 20. The place hosts part of one of the largest private art collections related to rock. Original photographic prints, gold discs and various objects accumulated since the early 1980s by an individual, Andy Ibach, are hosted in this amazing place which also offers exhibitions.
Outside, we find the most famous street art work in downtown Basel: a gigantic fresco which represents a crowd of musicians known worldwide. If you cannot find your favorite artist, inform the boss of the bar, he will remedy it!
>> Read also: Basel, historic musical city and logical host of Eurovision
The Rhenish city has amazing alternative places of alternative culture. By heading 30 minutes walk to the north, on the banks of the Rhine, you can for example discover the Gannet flagship boat which houses a concert hall. Arrived directly from Ireland in 2019, he is moored today in Holzpark Klybeck park and also offers a restaurant.
Inaugurated in 2021, Gannet offers modern and resolutely young eclectic musical program.
>> To see, this TV report of the Ramdam program devoted to Gannet:
To enhance your evening, the concert halls like the Kaser (Klybeckstrasse 1B), the Kuppel (Nachtigallenwäldeli 9), the Stadtcasino and its brand new rooms or the Jazz Bird’s Eye jazz club (Kohlenberg 20) welcome the Basel night owls, without forgetting the festivals that rhythm Basel Festival Session or the Jazz Offbeat festival.
Classical music side
If your heart is rather beating for classical music, do not hesitate to also go to a concert at the Stadtcasino, Konzertgasse 1, whose acoustics are renowned. This is where the orchestras of the region are performed, such as the Basel Symphony Orchestra, the Basel Sinfonietta and the Kammerochester Basel, crowned with the Swiss 2019 Music Prize.
In 1933, the famous conductor and Basel Mécène Paul Sacher offered the city of Basel an institute for teaching and private research intended for the practice of ancient music, the Schola Cantorum basiliensis. Located at 6 of the Leonhardstrasse, on the edge of the old town, this old music center is praised as a reference on the international scene. It cannot be visited freely, but concerts are regularly organized.
>> To find out more about the Schola Cantorum:
Partitions et instruments
Sighing, the Paul Sacher Foundation houses 4, Münsterplatz more than one hundred and forty musical collections accessible at simple appointments. The Foundation is today one of the most popular research centers of musicologists who are interested in the repertoire of the 20th and 21st centuries.
>> Listen, this program dedicated to the Paul Sacher Foundation:
Finally, at the Barfüsseplatz 7, do not hesitate to enter the historic museum in Basel, which holds the largest collection of musical instruments in Switzerland with more than 3,300 instruments.
