Basel, Switzerland - Rhein River from Bridge to Bridge

This part of the river walk started on the Grossbasel (Greater Basil) side of the Rhein/Rhine River to the Kleinbasel (Smaller Basel) side and back again.

This photo shows the smaller Basel side with the walkway and seating along the river.

 The walk crossed the Mittlere Brücke (the oldest bridge connecting the two parts of town).  In the background you can see the more modern bridge, Johanniter Brücke and industrial stacks.

 The bridge has pedestrian, automobile and bus traffic.

 The white lines hanging down are lights and will show in the group of photos for the departure on the river cruise.  The view is of Smaller Basel.

 This is a view of the shady side of the river on the Greater Basel side.  Host Jean said that the sun never shines on some of this side because it is so steep.

 You can see the old structure of the bridge.  Freight boats have a difficult time passing under the bridge and if the captain does not have a special local license then a local pilot must be hired.

There is a lovely river promenade on this side of the Rhein named Oberer Rheinweg.  It is perfect for a stroll with plenty of benches and is fortunately on the sunny side.  Cafes line the walkway.

This is one of two Basilisk fountains on the walkway. A Basilisk is said to be the king of serpents and can cause death with a single glance.  Where have I heard of a basilisk??? Now I know.  When I read the wikipedia article (click here to read it) I found my answer.  It is the monster in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"!

There are a variety of boats that use the river, both commercial and recreational.

This is the home for one of the Basel boating clubs.

You can see the cathedral across the river. Also notice the ferry that is crossing the water.  There are four ferry boats that operate along the river for tourism fun.  The ferry is a "reaction ferry" and uses the current of the water to propel it across.  The boat is attached to the cable and a rudder is used to position the boat to move.  For ferry enthusiasts and those who used them as children (Jane and Elizabeth, I'm talking to you), go to this link to see more information.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaction_ferry

The ferry docking and passengers disembarking.

This is another of the boat clubs.  

 And a handy WC (Water closet aka toilette).

A fancy photo of the walkway Oberer Rheinweg with the Minster (cathedral) in the background.

The walking tour crossed another bridge (Wettsteinbrücke) and returned to the main part of Basel.  This is a closeup on the shady side of the river. You can see that the walls are built and that it is quite steep on this side.

This shows both sides of the river from Wettsteinbrücke.

The walk continues from the bridge to the Basler Münster (Basel Cathedral).