Verkehrsdrehscheibe Schweiz und unser Weg zum Meer, museum in Basel (Switzerland)
The Verkehrsdrehscheibe Schweiz und unser Weg zum Meer is a technology museum in Basel focused on transport history and Rhine River shipping. The collection features detailed ship models, railway and truck models, and a large working scale model of the Rhine with its ports, locks, and cargo transfer stations.
Founded in 1954 by a Swiss shipping company under the original name Our Way to the Sea, the museum was renamed in 1993 when local management took over. Since 2001, it has been operated by the Verkehrsdrehscheibe Schweiz association, supported by regional authorities and businesses to preserve inland shipping heritage.
The museum's name reflects Switzerland's connection to the sea and its role as a transit point for goods moving across Europe. Visitors see how river trade shaped daily life in the region, connecting inland communities to distant markets through continuous movement of ships and cargo.
The museum is located in the Rhine port area near the three-country corner and is easily accessible by public transport. Visitors find parking nearby and can explore the exhibits at a comfortable pace, with explanations for ship operations, locks, and cargo handling procedures.
The museum features working models of Rhine ships and locks that visitors can watch in action, allowing them to see directly how these systems operated. These interactive demonstrations reveal how complex the coordination between water, rail, and road transport was in the past.
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