Climbing the Basel Muenster Church in Switzerland

Ten years ago I visited Basel in Switzerland and climbed the Basel Muenster. Back then, I was in my matriculation year soon to graduate from high school. My young legs couldn’t carry me up the narrow steeple staircase quickly enough despite the unusual 40 degree heat. I remember the cement staircase eventually changing to a rickety wood and metal interior with a porthole to the outside. I could not wait to reach the top away from the vacuum of heat.

But the claustrophobia was equally nauseating this time around. The air was neither warm nor cold, just a dampening stuffiness. Upon ascending the stairs I quickly removed my jacket only to put it on again as soon as my head motioned from black towards a striking sky of blue. But the climb was well worth my efforts. At the top, a balcony facing an ornately designed belfry between the two towers named after Saint Georg and Saint Martin.

And to the outside, the greeny-blue river just as I had imagined it a decade ago. In fact, ten years ago I had equally taken numerous panoramic shots and it was equally a blue sky, albeit for a short period of time. How lucky I am to return ten years later on such a similar day to further retain the memory of such beauty.

What further intrigued me about the Basel Muenster is its incredibly designed roof that you look onto from the top of the church. The roof is a myriad of tiny mosaic titles in patterned diamonds of green, yellow, red and white. This is a most fitting feature and a surefire attraction. You cannot help but notice the greeny-blue scenery surrounding the church which appears almost reflected in the colors of the roof.

The Basel Muenster with its red sandstone walls and multicoloured roof is a much-loved site of this small city. But to fully experience this attraction, be sure to climb to the top of the Muenster for views which further confirm Switzerland as one of the most scenic countries in the world.