While we missed out on the 4th of July festivities taking place in the US, we were able to partake in the August 1st Swiss Independence Day celebrations in Basel. The fun starts the night before, with shops closing early and festivities along both sides of the Rhine. There is a carnival-like atmosphere with stalls set up for food (some elaborate, like the Chinese food stall), beer gardens and traveling bands (some traditional, some modern). According to the Internet, Basel has one of the bigger celebrations in Switzerland, with over 100,000 people joining in the fun.
There is also a concert on the Kulturfloss (culture raft), a barge set in the Rhine which hosts free nightly concerts for three weeks in July & August.
Like the 4th of July, Swiss Independence Day celebrations center around fireworks. But unlike the US, the Swiss hold their fireworks displays the night before Independence Day, allowing everyone the opportunity to sleep in after staying up for the show (fireworks started promptly at 11:00pm). The display happens over the Rhine, being shot off from barges placed on either side of the Mittlere Brücke (middle bridge). This was the closet we have ever come to fireworks, standing on the middle of the bridge with explosions directly overhead.
The actual holiday itself (August 1) feels like a Sunday, with all the stores closed and the city pretty quiet. We took advantage of the day off, and the hot weather, to float down the Rhine with hundreds of other Baselites. To fit in with the locals, we purchased "wickelfisch" (Swiss made) - waterproof bags you can put your clothes in and use as floating devices as you drift down the river. A nice way to spend a lazy afternoon celebrating Swiss independence if you ask me!
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| Wickelfisch! |
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