Freie Strasse (Freie Street), Basel

Freie Street is Basel's main shopping street. During the Middle Ages, merchants could transport goods on this street duty-free, and the street became known as "Free Street."

Today's shoppers will find fashion boutiques and upscale designers like Louis Vuitton. Luxury jewelry brands such as Cartier entice window shoppers and those looking to splurge. If you want a quality Swiss watch, you'll find it on Free Street. This pedestrian-only street also features a variety of restaurants.

In addition to Swiss brands, Free Street also features international brands. Shoppers will find Apple, Starbucks, The Body Shop, H&M, and Zara along Free Street.

Free Street features attractive cobblestone paving and beautiful architecture. In addition, free Street is festively decorated with an abundance of Christmas lights during the holidays.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and M.Strīķis.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Basel. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Freie Strasse (Freie Street)
Sight Location: Basel, Switzerland (See walking tours in Basel)
Sight Type: Shopping
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Basel Introduction Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Basel, Switzerland

Create Your Own Walk in Basel

Creating your own self-guided walk in Basel is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Basel Old Town Shopping Walk

Basel’s Old Town is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the city. It is a place where you can see buildings from the 15th century as well as contemporary structures. The architectural diversity of this well-preserved historical area is stunning as are the shopping opportunities.

On the left bank of the Rhine is Grossbasel, which encompasses the Old Town and many mainstream shops. On... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.9 Km or 0.6 Miles

Basel's Historical Churches

Basel is the city of churches. Indeed, nowhere else in Switzerland will you find as many of them, both old and new, as here. Despite serious losses to the Reformation period, a good number of local temples have survived. Today, the vast majority of religious buildings, including the listed medieval Basel Minster, belong to the Evangelical Reformed Church.

The towers and spires of ancient... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles

Basel Introduction Walking Tour

The modern and bustling city of Basel gets its name from a third-century Roman castle that stood here. It is likely the modernization of "Villa Basilius," or "Estate of Basilius." Interestingly, the basilisk has been closely associated with the city and used in the coat of arms and coins. The association is likely simple assonance rather than anything more profound.

However,... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles