Messe Basel

The biggest exhibition centre in Switzerland is a sprawling complex of 141,000 square metres in Kleinbasel which hosts annual exhibitions and fairs that draw exhibitors and customers from all over the world. The best known are probably Art Basel, the world’s premier art fair which regularly hits the headlines with eyebrow-busting sales, and the watch show Baselworld, which attracts 150,000 visitors from 100 countries to its extravagant displays by international watchmakers and jewellers. In 2013 the main hall was completely rebuilt according to designs by Basel-based star architects Heurzog & de Meuron and is now a fixture on the city’s already packed architectural tour. The dynamic structure is a thoroughly modern masterpiece which integrates into the Messeplatz and surrounding neighbourhood. While you’re there, it would be a shame not to stop for a cocktail at Bar Rouge on the top of the building, which serves sophisticated tipples with a fabulous rooftop view over the city.