Mittlere Brücke / Schifflände

The first bridge across the Rhine was opened in Basel in 1226. Its builder was Prince-Bishop Heinrich von Thun. As protection for the bridge in which so much money had been invested, he established the fortified town of Kleinbasel (Lesser Basel) on the right bank of the Rhine.

The bridge initially served mainly local traffic, but in the 14th century, when the road over the St. Gotthard pass attained international significance, it became an important Rhine crossing for long-distance trade.

After the introduction of the electric tram, it became necessary to replace the old bridge with the new Mittlere Brücke dating from 1905. A copy of the old bridge chapel, the «Käppelijoch», still reminds us of the original structure.

Today, at the Schifflände, is a landing stage for the pleasure boats of the Basler Personenschiffahrt, which offers interesting excursions on the Rhine.

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