This blog post was updated on October 5, 2018.
As mentioned here on this blog about a month ago, in anticipation of an upcoming visit to Basel I downloaded for free the Make My Switzerland app. Having never been to Switzerland before, I was keen to access the local advice that the app promised. I was also curious to see how it compared with other resources that I might normally turn to when trying to find out about a destination, such as guidebooks, blogs, tips from friends, etc.
Now back home from a truly great weekend in Basel, I can say having Make My Switzerland just a tap away on my phone was an asset to the visit. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it replaced any of the other ways of making the most of a visit somewhere, but I am pleased to report that the app proved to be an excellent source of inspiration.
Before my trip and while traveling (waiting at London City Airport to board my flight, for example, and then once arrived in Basel taking the bus to the city center), the app served as a fun little tease, enticing me with lots of tips and gorgeous photos and getting me excited about my destination. During my time exploring Basel, the app helped lead me to some yummy gelato (at eiscafe Acero, presumably among the best spots for ice cream and coffee in all of Basel) and a few other places that turned out to be highlights of the trip.
Of course, the app’s not only geared for folks planning to be in Basel. Designed by Switzerland Tourism (the national marketing and sales organization for Switzerland), the app offers a local perspective on the best things to do in seven Swiss cities – Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lugano, and Zurich – with actual firsthand accounts from local ambassadors about the best things to take in while there. The ambassadors – such as Fabian, a professional bicyclist from Bern, or Heidi, a musician in Lucerne – are a mostly youthful and rather diverse crew of locals keen to share their love of their home with guests.
App or not, Basel was a fantastic destination to explore and a city which I very much hope to get back to again soon. What makes Basel so special? Hmm … perhaps that’s best shared in another post!
Find out more about the Make My Switzerland app at makemyswitzerland.com.
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