Leisure

Many people in Canton Basel-Stadt are members of a club (Verein). There are clubs for a wide range of interests, such as sports clubs or cultural clubs. If you join a club, you can get to know other people. Most clubs are open to everyone.

Young people can use many offers in their free time to get to know others their age. They can join a project and suggest their own ideas. Specialists supervise and support the young people (Jugendarbeit). The offers are usually free of charge.

You can go on plenty of excursions and attend many cultural events in Canton Basel-Stadt. Many people like swimming in the Rhine in the summer or having a picnic in the park. Families enjoy visiting Basel Zoo. There are beautiful hiking trails and cycling routes in the surrounding region. Cities like Freiburg im Breisgau or Strasbourg can quickly be reached by train. Basel Tourismus provides information on what excursions you can go on and which events you can attend.

Community centres (Quartiertreffpunkte) are open to everyone. They have offers for families, older people and anyone who is not yet fluent in German. Some community centres are family centres. Here you can find open meet-ups for mothers and fathers with their children. Community centres offer advice and support in everyday life. You can rent spaces for family parties and other events in the community centre.

You can help other people and the environment with volunteer work (Freiwilligenarbeit). "Volunteer" in this sense means you do not receive any pay for this work. Volunteers perform many tasks in Switzerland, especially in clubs. Are you interested in volunteer work? You can get involved in a number of topics at a club, such as culture, sports, social matters, education, animal welfare, environmental protection or health.

You can find information on volunteer work here:

• GGG Benevol Centre for Volunteer Work
• Swiss Red Cross Basel-Stadt (SRC)
• Caritas of both Basel cantons

Information on volunteering for asylum seekers and refugees:

• Coordination Centre for Volunteer Work in Asylum (KOFF)
• Swiss Refugee Council

The "Kulturlegi" pass is intended for people with limited financial means. If you have a Kulturlegi pass, you pay less for athletic, cultural or educational events. You can apply for the Kulturlegi pass through Caritas. Caritas will provide additional information and verify whether you meet the requirements for the Kulturlegi pass. The family pass (Familienpass) and the family plus pass (FamilienpassPlus) are also available. The passes are for families who live in north-western Switzerland. For children, youths and young adults, there are also numerous discounts and free offers including the "colourkey" or the holiday pass (Ferienpass). Many offers are available at a lower price with the Kulturlegi pass, the family pass or the colourkey. Additional information can be found on the respective websites.