Basel City Wall, Medieval defensive wall in Basel, Switzerland
The Basel City Wall is a medieval fortification with three preserved gates and multiple wall sections built from local sandstone and limestone. The remains extend through several districts and show how the defensive system once surrounded the settlement.
The wall began around 1080 under Bishop Burkhard von Fenis and expanded over centuries into a complex system with around 40 towers and multiple defensive rings. This growth reflected Basel's rise as an important trading city.
The three preserved gates – Spalentor, Sankt-Alban-Tor, and Sankt-Johanns-Tor – show how people once controlled who entered and left the city. Walking through them today, you sense how these passages shaped daily life and commerce.
A marked route connects the three preserved gates and starts at Spalentor near the Historical Museum, making it easy to explore the wall sections. Wear comfortable shoes and allow time to walk through different neighborhoods at a relaxed pace.
When the Black Death struck in 1348, materials from destroyed Jewish cemeteries were incorporated into sections of the outer wall. This darker chapter is quite literally built into the stone itself.
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