St. Jakob Park

St. Jakob Park Overview

St. Jakob Park, a modern football stadium in Basel, Switzerland will host 6 matches for the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, with one of those matches being a semi-final. St. Jakob's Park is the first multifunctional stadium in Switzerland. It has a great playing field which satisfies players and fans alike, a large shopping center and a retirement community of 107 apartments.

As a host city for the 2008 EURO, Basel is one of the primary locations for the competition and expect tens of thousands of football fans to converge on the city in June 2008.

Stadium History

Seating Chart

Getting There

Map

City Information

Basel is located in the center of Europe, in Switzerland but bordering both Germany and France. These countries along with Switzerland share in the tri-national Euro Airport. Basel is known in Switzerland as the most important fair city. Every year Basel hosts “Basleworld”, a huge watch and jewelry fair.

Basel is also the place where the first printing press was built.

With Basel bordering three countries, you are guaranteed culinary delight when visiting. In all of Europe, this three country region has the most 4 and 5 star restaurants. In additional to excellent cuisine Basle is known for its Old Town. Its what locals are most proud of, the soul of their city. A walk through Old Town and you can see evidence of what the cities history, preserved as it once was.

Accommodation

At PROOMSprivate landlords offer available rooms and apartments, or even a simple couch for the night! Football Fans who cannot find a suitable hotel, or who would rather stay in a private room, can quickly find the right accommodation close to any of the Euro 2008 venues in both Austria and Switzerland.

Area Pubs

Atlantis, Klosterberg 13 (www.atlan-tis.ch). Universally known as “Tis”, and the most popular venue in Basel, hosting live bands and dance nights, generally with a Fr.15 entrance.

Babalabar, Gerbergasse 4. City-centre club, with plenty of variation in dance styles (nightly), and famed all-nighters (Sat). Fr.10–15.

Bird’s Eye, Kohlenberg 20 (www.jsb.ch). Live jazz every weekend (Thurs–Sun), jazz DJ-ing the rest of the week – very popular, very lively. Around Fr.15.

Hirscheneck, Lindenberg 23. Grungy hardcore, metal and ska acts in this café-bar venue, generally on weekends.

Kaserne, Klybeckstrasse 1b. Focus of Kleinbasel nightlife, a café-bar with adjacent venue for live bands, DJs, readings and happenings. Fr.10–15.

Parterre, Klybeckstrasse 1b (www.eye.ch/schlappe). Folky, jazz-trio music nights, often midweek.

Restaurants:

Stucki, Bruderholzallee 42 (061/361 82 22). Considered one of Switzerland’s best restaurants. It got awarded two Michelin stars for its classic style and inventive touches. Expect menus starting from Fr.50 – if you can book far enough ahead to find a place. Closed Sun & Mon.

Au Violon, Im Lohnhof 4 (061/269 87 11). Very pleasant gourmet brasserie in a renovated old building near the Leonhardskirche, offering seasonal specialities prepared with care. Menus from Fr.20. Closed Sun & Mon.

Wilhelm Tell, Spalenvorstadt 38. Cosy, quiet den for solid Swiss fare, rösti, sausages and all, from Fr.15. Closed Sun.

Zum Goldenen Fass, Hammerstrasse 108 (061/693 11 11). Quality formal restaurant with an informal air in a Kleinbasel residential neighbourhood. Excellent, top-quality organic food, lightly prepared (plus veggie options), with lunchtime menus around Fr.20, evening ones double that.

Country Life, Sattelgasse 3. Small veggie and wholefood diner off Marktplatz, with menus around Fr.17–20.

Cafés:

Fumare non fumare, Gerbergasse 38. Cool, high-ceilinged espresso bar on a people-watching junction, also with its own beer – one side is smoking, one non-smoking (hence the name). Open late.

Pfalz, Münsterberg 11. Tiny, bright nook, with excellent fresh juices, sandwiches, quiches and a salad buffet. Closed Sat & Sun.

Zum Isaak, Münsterplatz 16. A tranquil, much-loved tea-drinkers’ café and cellar-theatre that knows its darjeeling from its lapsang-souchong, and also offers lovingly prepared snacks and full meals. Also with a courtyard terrace. Closed Mon.

Email and Internet:

Domino video arcade, Steinenvorstadt 52 (Mon–Thurs 9am–midnight, Fri & Sat 9am–1am, Sun 1pm–midnight; Fr.10/hr before 6pm, Fr.12/hr after 6pm).

Travel Tips

Trains

Basel SBB to: Baden (hourly; 50min); Bern (twice hourly; 1hr 10min); Biel/Bienne (hourly; 1hr 10min); Brig (hourly; 3hr); Chur (hourly; 2hr 40min); Geneva (hourly; 2hr 50min); Interlaken Ost (hourly; 2hr 10min); Kaiseraugst (twice hourly; 10min); Lausanne (hourly; 2hr 30min); Lugano (hourly; 3hr 45min; Zürich (3 hourly; 1hr 5min).

International Train Transportation:

Basel SBB to: Amsterdam (2 daily; 7hr 40min); Berlin (2 daily; 7hr); Brussels (5 daily; 6hr 15min); Frankfurt (every 2hr; 2hr 50min); Freiburg-im-Breisgau (twice hourly; 40min); Hamburg (every 2hr; 6hr 30min); Köln (hourly; 4hr 45min); Milan (every 2hr; 5hr 20min); München (every 2hr; 5hr); Paris (6 daily; 5hr); Rome (1 daily; 12hr); Strasbourg (hourly; 1hr 15min); Stuttgart (every 2hr; 2hr 40min).

Airport:

The airport – cringingly dubbed EuroAirport – is actually in French territory 5km north of the city, shared between Basel (Switzerland), Mulhouse (France) and Freiburg (Germany). A special customs-free fenced road links the Swiss terminal with Switzerland proper, along which bus #50 runs every twenty minutes, connecting the airport and Basel SBB station (daily 5am–midnight; Fr.2.80; journey time 15min).

Important Links

• Budget Rooms For Football Fans
• St. Jakob-Park
• Euroairport
• Basel Public Transport Company
• basel.ch
• baseltourismus.ch
• baselunited.ch
• fcb.ch

References

• St. Jacob Park Official Informaton