SWISS INDOORS • WEINMESSE • FUN ON ICE • DISCOVER GRUYÈRE • BALOISE SESSION Volume 5 Issue 2 CHF 6 6 A Monthly Guide to Living in Basel October 2016 Fall is Fair in Basel LETTER FROM THE EDITOR S R E T Dear Readers, O A F C A Autumn is such an exciting time in Basel, bringing with it crisp air, golden K D leaves, the unmistakable sounds of rollercoasters and other rides—and C E October 2016 Volume 5 Issue 2 the screams of the ride-goers who brave them. Watch as the various A M L squares around town are converted into fair grounds for two weeks of end- Y B TABLE OF CONTENTS less fun. In our Fall Fair Special, you will not only learn about the fabulous Herbstmesse, now in its 546th year, but also about the goods fair, the gour- School pick-up and 1 met fair, the new sweets and cakes fair, and the wonderful world of wines 9 5 6 drop-off at Basel Fall Fair Special 4–5 at the wine fair. And if you plan on attending the latter, be sure to read the Badische Bahnhof tips from wine expert Timothy Magnus on how to best navigate the sea of Quality Christian Events in Basel: October 2016 6–8 wines that await. Schooling since 1956 A special Swiss delicacy available only in fall and winter is the Vacherin Mulhouse D Inside Switzerland: Vacherin Mont d'Or 9 Mont d’Or cheese. Let food writer Sue Style take you on a journey to the Kandern origins, production, and ways to enjoy this little delight. And if you want to F see cheese production first hand, why not plan a visit to the cheese show Basel Zurich Fun Outings: Beyond Basel 10–11 factory in Gruyères, where you can also discover the region, the quaint CH little hilltop town, and its castle and museums. Markets and Fairs 12 Many other events and activities occur in Basel every October: Children can partake in the lovely tradition of collecting conkers (horse chestnuts) for the wildlife at Lange Erlen animal park. Adults may want to check out Sports and Recreation 13 the fantastic annual Rudolf Steiner Schule flea market and the WBZ flea market that benefits people with physical disabilities. The local ice rinks Get Going!: Ice Season is Here! 14–15 also open at the end of the month, allowing for skating and ice hockey, even in the warm autumn sun. And tennis aficionados won’t want to miss the world’s best tennis players as they compete at the Swiss Indoors tour- Calendar: October 2016 16–17 nament. Like any other month, October is bursting with entertainment, including bfacademy.com Workshops, Tours, and Education 18–20 several circuses, operas, theaters, and dance parties, as well as wine and spirits tastings. Shows from the Chippendale dancers and break-dancing tango dancers to English comedy and modern ballet cater to diverse inter- Did You Know? 21 ests, as does the long list of concerts from a wide range of genres, includ- ing chorus, jazz, blues, rock, pop, classical, New Age, chamber music, Information Desk: Irish folk music, bluegrass, and even an all-women symphony orchestra! A Survival Guide for the Basler Weinmesse 22 In this issue, you can also find useful information about the new flexible start dates of your monthly bus/tram passes; how to enjoy a romantic din- ner for parents without leaving the kids at home; and how to find what you Entertainment: Night on the Town 24–31 need in the Basel area, from safe bicycle routes to where to recycle old medicines. Ticket Office: Get Your Tickets Now! 31 Finally, don’t forget to make your clocks “fall back” for the end of Daylight Savings Time on October 30! Mark Your Calendar: November 2016 back page Wishing you fabulous fall fun, Christine Basel Life Magazine Staff: Editor-in-Chief: COVER: One of the most distinctive features of the Christine Pesold Herbstmesse is the giant Ferris wheel that is set up Advertising & Subscription Manager / Editor: next to the Münster—although it is not always the same A CASUAL Susanne Hiller one. About 10 years ago, they even had the world’s larg- est movable Ferris wheel (height 60 m) in town for the APPROACH Design & Print: occasion. The current model with 42 gondolas in an art TO LUXURY Schwabe AG nouveau style and named “Bellevue,” has a total height of "only" 55 m. It still weighs an impressive 350 metric For more information about subscribing or advertising – please contact us: tons and travels with about 20 vehicles, including trucks, info basellife.com tractors, and a mobile crane. The family that operates it www.facebook.com/basellifemagazine has been in the Ferris wheel business for more than www.basellife.com 100 years. So take a ride—the views are spectacular! BASEL LIFE MAGAZINE / BASEL FAMILY GmbH © Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. It is our goal to provide valuable, timely information to our readers. The opinions expressed in the articles in this magazine are those of the contributing authors and do not reflectthose of other members of the editorial staff and of any organizations or agencies distributing this magazine. Though we make every attempt to provide accurate information, we cannot be held respon- ASK FOR A PERSONAL APPOINTMENT. sible if any event is cancelled, postponed, or modified. We encourage readers to contact the event organizers or their websites to obtain the most current PHONE +41 79 352 42 12 · AESCHENVORSTADT 36 event information. Please note: No part of this periodical may be duplicated in any fashion, or redistributed in any written language, without permission 4001 BASEL · WWW.JANETBARGEZI.COM from the executive staff at Basel Family GmbH. If you have any questions, contact Basel Family GmbH staff at: info basellife.com. 2 Basel Life Magazine / www.basellife.com photo credit: © anne kohler (cover), © susanne hiller (page 3) October 2016 3 Fall Fair Special Basler Herbstmesse October 29 – November 13/15 Fall is Synonymous Now in its 546th year, the Basler Herbstmesse is steeped in tradition and one of the absolute highlights of the year. It is the oldest fair in Switzerland, attracting more than 1 million visitors from all over Swit- zerland and neighboring countries during those two weeks to enjoy the with Fairs in Basel rides, the food, and all the other attractions that go along with the As the days get shorter and the nights get cooler, Baslers come out in Herbstmesse. The fair officially opens at noon on the last Saturday in droves to enjoy the multitude of fairs that are popping up all over town. October by the ringing of the bells of the Martinskirche; this year, this The highlight of the year is the Basler Herbstmesse (autumn fair) that will take place on October 29. Traditionally, all rides are free for the first turns multiple squares throughout town into mini-amusement parks. hour of the fair, so if you want a free ride or two, you will need to push But you can also enjoy the wonderful world of wines at the Basler Wein- with the best of them for your spot in line! messe, the fabulous foods of the Feinmesse (gourmet fair), the Herbst- For the fair, many squares throughout town are turned into mini- warenmesse (goods fair), and the new Sweet and Cake Fair that are amusement parks for young and old. With rides like the giant Ferris sure to stimulate your autumn nesting behavior and your salivary wheel set up near the cathedral at Münsterplatz, the mini-bumper cars glands. With all of these fabulous fairs there is something for everyone— and traditional two-tier carousel at Petersplatz, and stomach-turning except, maybe, an excuse to stay home! rides like Chaos and Speed at the Kaserne, there is definitely some- thing for everyone. For this year’s Herbstmesse, there will be rides and attractions set up at Barfüsserplatz, Petersplatz, Münsterplatz, Kaser- Herbstwarenmesse (Fall Goods Fair) the most imaginative brownies, cakes, cake pops, cupcakes, muffins, nenareal, Rosentalanlage, and Messeplatz. The old Messehalle 3 at October 29 – November 6 pies, and more. There are also workshops and demonstrations where Riehenring will be transformed once again into an indoor fair under the you can watch and learn different techniques. See innovations in bak- The 44th Herbstwarenmesse features hundreds of exhibitors from the heading of “Super 80s,” where you can travel back to the 80s with rides ing and acessories with famous guests from the baking scene—a great areas of beauty, cookery, family, fashion, food and drink, health, hobby, like the haunted house and bumper cars. learning and shopping experience for all those with a passion for mak- home, interior design, leisure and recreation, sport, technologies, and While the main attractions at most of these sites are rides and food ing desserts, baking, and decorating cakes, or who just love sweets. wellness and draws some 130,000 visitors each year. This year, you can stalls, Petersplatz is lined primarily with artisan and craft stalls, in- try the awesome new “Bubblesport,” in which teams of three players, www.sweetandcake.ch cluding dish wares, hats, pottery, wooden toys, jewelry, spices, and each hidden in a giant bubble, play against each other—fun is guaran- many other hand-made crafts; note that this site traditionally closes teed! There are new matches every 30 minutes, simply register indi- Basler Weinmesse (Basel Wine Fair) 2 days later than the rest of the fair—this year on Tuesday, November 15. vidually or as a group on the spot and play for free.