Photos: Hieronymus Hess, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Ermell, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Wladyslaw Sojka, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo credits
Photos: Hieronymus Hess, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Ermell, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Wladyslaw Sojka, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
A fountain built entirely from motion
Your local guide
Nadja Hess
View profile
Highlights
- A fountain built entirely from moving parts
- Scrap metal turned into motion
- Built where a theatre once stood
- Gears and wheels, up close
- Basel's most playful public sculpture
About this tour
This short session looks closely at a fountain built entirely from moving mechanical sculptures. You see the pieces spraying water where the old municipal theatre once stood, then a close look at one sculpture's gears and wheels. It stays at the fountain throughout.
I explain the artist's wider reputation for turning scrap metal into motion first, then move in close on one sculpture's mechanism. Questions about the artist and his other work are welcome.
This suits anyone interested in kinetic art and unusual public sculpture. It also works well paired with the museum session nearby for a fuller look at Basel's art scene.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Basel before heading out.
-
Tinguely Fountain 15 min
You see the mechanical sculptures moving and spraying water where the old municipal theatre once stood, all built by a Basel-born artist known for turning scrap metal into motion.
-
Moving Parts, Up Close 15 min
The camera moves close to one sculpture's gears and wheels, and I explain how deliberately unpredictable the movements are meant to feel compared with a normal fountain.
-
Your questions 7 min
Time to ask anything about Basel: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
-
A short list to keep 3 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Basler Läckerli and St. Alban, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Zurich time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Basel, showing you Tinguely Fountain and Moving Parts, Up Close live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need any background in art?
No. The guide explains what matters as you go, whatever you already know or do not.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet and the link comes with your booking. I studied kinetic sculpture, so I explain the mechanics behind what you see as much as the art itself.
Times shown in Zurich time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Reviews appear here after travellers have completed this tour.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Tue 17 Nov · 10 seats left From 18,00 €
Book