Spalen Gate

Spalen Gate

Points of Interest & Landmarks
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
Around 1200, a second outer fortification of the town was built.
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The area

Address
Neighborhood: Vorstädte
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See what travelers are saying

  • Corinna S
    1,139 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stadttor
    Former city gate and worth a stop. Public transport stops next door with direct connections to the train station. Walking down the street to the left of the gate you can see old "mini" houses
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written July 12, 2024
  • Martin B
    Rosario, Argentina1,933 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Old city gate
    The most imposing entrance of the three city gates still preserved from the great wall of 1400. The walk through the previous neighborhood completes the visit. From the neighborhood it is not as appreciated as when one crosses it and sees it from the front. One of the traditional visits of Basel, which you can forget.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 3, 2024
  • Sara J
    Valladolid, Spain1,885 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    One of the three preserved
    It is one of three preserved from the old wall. Square tower decorated with religious sculptures from the 15th century. Although the door is well preserved and the visit is fine, you cannot access the interior and is a little far from the main squares of the city.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written October 1, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles465 reviews
Excellent
155
Very good
238
Average
71
Poor
1
Terrible
0

MKTBE
Topeka, KS4,159 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022
The Gate of Spalen, or Spalentor, is one of the three remaining city gates of the ancient city walls of Basel. It is regarded as one of the most well-preserved and impressive gates in Switzerland. Unfortunately this is the only city gate that we visited while in Basel. Very impressive.
Written December 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

permia
Ireland67,094 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022
Regarded as one of the most beautiful extant gates in Switzerland, it originates from around 1400. An impressive longevity.

It looks delightful on both facades, looking towards and away from the city.

It was one of three that survived the demolition of the city walls in 1859 to facilitate expansion of the thriving city.

A rectangular central tower has a round tower on either side. Walking through it is to see some of the formidable defensive aspects as well as other historical artefacts.
Written October 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BrakiWorldTraveler
Belgrade, Serbia20,038 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
The Spalentor is one of three medieval gates built to protect the city of Basel along with the fortification walls.
The gate is little bit out of the tourist sights and requires some 15 min walking uphill.
However, I found it worth it to pass through it and then descend down to the old town.
Written April 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Familie_Schlaepfer
Riehen, Switzerland402 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020 • Solo
The Spalentor (Gate of Spalen) is the most magnificent and impressive of the three city gates still remaining from the city fortifications dating from 1400.

360°
Panorama

In times gone by, many important supplies and provisions entered the city through this gate having arrived from Alsace. Its square main tower, flanked on each side by two round towers, would have been seen long before arriving at the gates of the city. The façade facing away from the city is also decorated with three figures dating back to the 15th century - the Madonna and two prophets.
Written October 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CalBristol
Weston super Mare, UK2,147 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
In the 14th Century, the inhabitants of Basel decided to protect their city with protective walls and the Spalentor gate is the only vestige now remaining.
The walk up from the old city is very pleasant with interesting old buildings and shops, and on reaching the start of the Spalenvorstadt, you can see the gatehouse at the end of the street. When I visited this quiet street, the street was decorated with greenery for the festive season. The old western gateway to the city is topped by a clock tower and flanked by two crenellated guard towers. The tower was not open to visitors when I was there.
There is a tram stop just to the side of the gateway.
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Linda J
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Couples
The Old Town is lovely to stroll around... Saturday Market was good... Plenty of places to eat. The busking singer at the town Hall was amazing. We enjoyed sitting in a bar overlooking the river. Trams are so easy, regular and ar no cost with the Travel card from hotels as is the No.50 airport bus... The zoo is amazing too.. we spent 4.5 hours there..

Written June 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sylvain G.
Lugrin, France192 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019 • Family
Well maintained and typical of medieval times. Worth a look and passing through it. Also, the streets liaising this door and the former inner city are mostly pedestrians and worth walking by.
Written November 17, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jun Jacinto
New York City, NY1,435 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2019 • Family
It is across the Old Town that impressively and significantly an icon to this beautiful city of Basel that fortified this area with shopping and restaurants.
Written January 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Graham
Rugby, UK1,558 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
This is the third and biggest of the three remaining Basel City Gates. Like the other two, this one is very well preserved. With its gates, portcullis and cobbled street all i tact.
Written May 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kathinated
Dunfermline, UK787 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Solo
Close to the botanical gardens in the university district of Basel this is a very well preserved medieval gate which was part of the city walls. Free to view and close to bars and shops.
Written August 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Spalen Gate - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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