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The Münsterberg
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Münsterberg is the name of a narrow alley which leads opposite the west façade of the Cathedral down to the Freie Strasse.
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In the year 1919 the Basel painter Nikolaus Stoecklin painted a mural of lovers in an arcade above a board at the entrance to the Münsterberg. This used to be where forthcoming marriages were announced. Adjacent to this stands the Haus zum Fleckenstein, which stands out with its Gothic architecture, half-timbered façade and traditional Alsatian gables.
In the middle of the alley, in the Haus zum Oberen Freiburg, an old forge remains in use to this day. With a little luck it is sometimes possible to watch skilled smiths here, working the iron with hammer and anvil over an open fire in the traditional manner.
At the junction with the Freie Strasse stands the Dreizack or Neptune Fountain, a work created by Melchior Berri, who was responsible for a number of important Classical buildings in Basel. Four bronze basilisks serve as spouts. Basilisks are often to be seen in Basel bearing the city's heraldic symbol, the Baslerstab.
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