RHEINSCHWIMMEN

In summer, in the middle of the city, if you pass over one of the bridges over the Rhine, you will certainly see swimmers drifting slowly in the direction of the current, a small, colourful and floating bag hanging on their arms. The little bag is called Wickelfisch and every self-respecting Basel resident has at least one. You can store your clothes in a dry place and it also serves as a float. At lunchtime or after work, we usually throw ourselves into the Rhine to refresh ourselves, chat quietly with colleagues or friends, letting ourselves be carried away by the waves. Every year, on the ^2nd Tuesday in August (in case of bad weather, the ^3rd), the not-to-be-missed Rheinschwimmen takes place, the big gathering for a collective bath in the Rhine, the whole of Basel throws itself into the water! The start is from the Jardin de la Solitude, near the Tinguely Museum, and you can swim to the Kaserne, at the other end of the city. Thousands of people find their way there. On leaving, everyone receives as a gift their diploma of the year, a drink and a bratwurst (sausage) offered by Migros!