Christmas Markets Set To Return This Week; Police Sweep City Cyclists To Enforce Light Safety; Cheese Champion Chosen; Nightclub SUD Gets Makeover

News For 21 November 2017

If the drab weather and closing of the Herbstmesse have got you down, don't fall into despair.  This Thursday will mark the return of Basel's Christmas Markets.  Over 180 vendors will be back again this year, spread out in the Barfusserplatz, Munsterplatz and Petersplatz.  You can add to your collection of commemorative Gluhwein ceramic boot-mugs, and of course find the family friendly artisan and craft area in the shadow of the Munster cathedral.  The markets will remain open until December 23rd.

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The Basel police force were on patrol looking for cyclists in town last Thursday to make sure everyone was using bike lights. The police checked around 600 bicycles at Claraplatz, and around a quarter of these were inspected more closely. 155 cyclists were using either weak, covered, partly broken or no lights whatsoever. After the inspection, the police even gave proper lights to those with bad or broken ones to enable a safe onward journey. 12 of the checked cyclists were using no lights at all, and had to pay fines of 40 CHF each. 

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In case you missed it, last Saturday was the Mondial de Fondue, or World Competition of Fondue cheese held in the village of Tartegnin in the canton of Vaud.  This year marked the second time the bienniel event was held, which is divided into amateur and professional categories, allowing anyone to participate and apply to judge.  The rules require the use of at least 50% Gruyere cheese, the famed ingredient in the globally popular Swiss cheese concoction.  This year's event winners were Fribourg cheesemaker Benedikt Wüthrich and hometown hero André Bourqui from Vaud won the amateur category top honors.

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The Rhyschänzli group has taken over Kleinbasel’s Sud nightclub and reopened this week after a three-week renovation period. Originally, SUD was the location of the old Warteck brewery, and more recently the venue for the variety show Cabaret Bizarre.  Once reopened, the nightclub with a focus on a large selection of different beers. With 30 beers on the menu, the SUD will be an “urban beer hall”, and will have cocktails as well as paninis and cold cut plates on offer.