Platter Walk

This walk begins with a tour of the picturesque alleys in a former business district. Some of the street names, such as Schneidergasse (tailor’s alley), hint at the businesses that used to trade here. The craftsmen would have once used water from the Birsig river, which now flows beneath the Marktplatz. You now begin a walk uphill along the left-hand side of the Spalenberg. Once you reach the top, leave the historic Old Town behind and cross the Petersgraben, the former city moat. Take the Spalenvorstadt until you reach the Spalentor, one of Switzerland’s most beautiful city gates which dates back to the 14th century. Walk along the former outer moat to the oldest university in Switzerland (founded in 1460), for which Thomas Platter, rector of the Latin school “Schule uff Burg” on the Cathedral hill, prepared many students. Next to the university is the Petersplatz. A flea market featuring a diverse range of goods takes place here every Saturday. Pass by the Gothic Peterskirche and walk back down to the busy Marktplatz. During the week here you will find a wide range of fresh food from Basel and the region.

Thomas Platter (1499 – 1582). Humanist scholar.