Historisches Museum Basel

Here in Basel we are literally sitting on our own past. Archaeological excavations have brought these hidden worlds piece by piece to light: we now know that the Celts built two major settlements on the bend in the Rhine before the Romans made the city later known as Basel part of their world empire. When the Roman troops withdrew, their place was taken by Alamanni, who brought their own culture with them – first and foremost the language out of which the Alemannic dialects still spoken in many parts of Switzerland evolved. The first Episcopal palace was built on Basel’s Münsterhügel or Cathedral Hill during the period of Frankish rule.
Costly grave goods, jewellery, pottery and tools provide vivid testimony to this eventful history. The model settlements and painstaking reconstructions of life in times past based on real discoveries provide a fascinating insight into Basel’s development from Celtic settlement to Episcopal see. Interactive exhibits where visitors can dig, sample, solve puzzles, and listen make this an attractive exhibition for children as well.

> Barfüsser Church
Basement