When we finish our Rhine River cruise in April, we're spending the night in Basel. We'll fly home the next day.

I've been reading about the city, but I still don't have a handle on the best way to spend an almost-full day. I would love your suggestions!

You may visit some of the 37 museums https://www.museenbasel.ch/en
the medieval city center with cathedral and Rathaus
the big excavations of the Roman city of Augusta Raurica nearby

or day trip to Bern, Lucerne, Solothurn, Zurich, Schaffhausen Rhine Falls, all reachable by train in less than 1 hr

We live in Basel. Before making any suggestions, what would you like to do?

Second, do you have a hotel booked? The Maerthof Hotel on Marktplatz has a good on-site restaurant (Bohemia) so an easy place for your final dinner. If you like French cuisine, try Au Violon.

The art museum is world class and usually not crowded. The antiquities museum across the street from the art museum is also excellent. Lots of people like the Beyeler out in Riehen; our enjoyment is based on whatever special exhibition is on display at the time. During your April visit, there will be a Cezanne exhibition: https://www.fondationbeyeler.ch/en/a...lungen/cezanne

I was hoping to hear from a local, so thank you! The Maerthof Hotel is at the top of my list for possible hotels. My travel agent is looking into it now.

This may sound crazy, but I want to see the snow leopards at Zoo Basel. There aren't many places to see them, so this is an opportunity. Their website shows the zoo has other big cats, as well as some unusual animals I haven't seen. Of course, it won't be the same as seeing them "in the wild," (like I did in Africa), but it's better than not seeing them at all. After spending 2 full days visiting museums in Amsterdam, this looks like a nice change of pace.

Thank you, again, for your reply!