2 Best Sights in Basel, Switzerland

Built between 1763 and 1775 for two of the city's most successful silk-ribbon merchants, these were the residences of the brothers Lukas and Jakob Sarasin. In 1777, the emperor Joseph II of Austria was a guest in the White House. Adding that to the roster of Blue House visitor names—including Czar Alexander of Russia, Emperor Francis of Austria, and King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, who met for dinner here in 1814—brings the guest book over the top. The restored buildings now house part of the city government and are clearly labeled for curious passersby.

A row of 15th- and 16th-century houses lines this steep little alley in Grossbasel. No. 11 housed Basel's university when it was founded in 1460.