Old Town of Grossbasel

The Old Town of Grossbasel (Greater Basel) on the left bank of the Rhine is best explored on foot, winding through uphill streets and narrow passages above Marktplatz. Spalenberg street climbs from the square towards the Spalentor gate, while Heuberg and Nadelberg streets, with their alleyways around the churches of St Peter and St Leonhard, preserve almost entirely intact historic buildings. Along the former inner city wall, the palaces of the nobility and the mansions of the wealthiest citizens were already springing up in the Middle Ages — among them Engelhof and Schöner Hof — while the Renaissance-era Spiesshof stands out prominently on Heuberg. The area has been designated a protected historic district since 1939 and today brings together residential flats, university institutes, shops, theatres and restaurants.