Thomas Platter walk
Thomas Platter (1499–1582). Basel scholar and head of the cathedral school. Signposts: yellow on blue. Time required: about 45 minutes. Suitable for wheelchairs.
This walk takes you first through the picturesque lanes and alleyways of a former craftsmen’s district. The street names give a flavour of the trades that used to be plied here, such as the tailors’ alley (Schneidergasse). These craftsmen used to draw their water from the river Birsig, which today flows under the market square (Marktplatz) down to the Rhine. Leaving the bottom of this gentle valley, you now climb the hill on the left up the Spalenberg. At the top of this hill, you leave the historical part of the Old Town and cross Petersgraben, along which the city wall used to run. If you carry on along Spalenvorstadt, you reach one of the city’s old gateways, the Spalentor, one of the finest structures of its type in Switzerland, dating back to the 14th century. Continuing from here along the city’s former
outer moat, you come to Switzerland’s oldest university (founded in 1460), where Thomas Platter also studied and lectured. Next to the university is the tree-lined St Peter’s square (Petersplatz), which plays host every Saturday to a large and colourful flea market. You now pass the Gothic church of St Peter and follow the route back to the bustling market square, where you will find a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables on sale during the week.