muba

This is an annual trade fair, bringing all sorts of home-​goods to the Basel Convention Centre (Messe). You do need to pay to get in but it is free after 5pm (giving you an hour to get round the 3 levels) and there are some free market stalls outside so all in all, pretty good value.
There are lots of exhibitors but lots of things I don’t need or can’t afford. Most people rent so I’m surprised by the number of Kitchen manufacturers and hot tubs! Are we the only people without a hot tub? Can they crane one over onto our back terrace? But then my hubby had a thought. Maybe everyone has a holiday chalet in the Alps and that’s where they keep their hot tubs? :D
After passing all the kitchens, vacuums, hot tubs, patio furniture… we finally found the food hall! Free cheese! Well small little cubes of free cheese but hey — it’s really good swiss cheese. There are at least 100 wine stalls. Be careful not to make eye contact with the sales rep or before you know it you’ll be whisked to a table and plied with bread cheese and samples of wine. I think people come every year to visit their favorite distributor and buy cases of wine to last the whole year.
After the cheese, my favorite section was the outdoor kiddie zone. There was a farm yard theme with a small petting zoo with donkeys, sheep and my favorite — mini goats! The stern looking farmer was gaurding the gate, only letting one child in at a time. To my husband’s embarrassment, I got in line amongst the young ones and smiled sweetly at the farmer who shook his head as he let me in.
My hubby got his turn to play too. On our way out, we noticed that across the courtyard in another building was a free sports exhibit. Many designed to keep the kiddies entertained, it had foosball tables, scooters, mini tennis and track bicycles on stationery trainers. A monitor connected to the trainers controlled the resistance and made you feel like you were riding the new Swiss indoor velodrome. The hubby challenged the young boy on the next bike and peddalled his way to first place!
Open all weekend, this is a good way to spend a winter’s Sunday as pretty much nothing else in town in open.