Basel Youth Hostel: a converted factory on the St. Alban-Teich
A converted factory on the St. Alban-Teich, a few steps from the Rhine: 234 beds from double rooms to six-bed dorms, in award-winning architecture. The best budget address in town.
Photo: Daniel Studer, via Google Maps
Our verdict
Basel's youth hostel is the most attractive budget option in the city. It sits in the St. Alban-Tal, a quiet corner with a mill canal and a paper mill, close to the Rhine.
An old factory building was converted and extended with a new wing: exposed concrete and clean lines rather than bunk beds in an old building.
Rooms and beds
There are 21 double rooms with shower and toilet, three four-bed rooms with shower and toilet, 36 four-bed rooms with a washbasin and six six-bed rooms, 234 beds in all. Several booking sites state that breakfast is included.
Location and walking times
Barfüsserplatz is 14 minutes on foot, Basel SBB station 18 and Marktplatz 17 minutes. The Kunstmuseum and the Paper Museum are on the way into town.
Our advice
Concrete carries sound: guests report noise from corridors and neighbouring rooms, especially when groups are staying. If you want peace, book a double room with private bathroom.
According to the hostel, the BaselCard is included. Members of the youth hostel association pay less, so check the conditions when booking.
Read next: Where to stay in Basel? The districts compared, with prices and visitor tax and Art Basel hotels in Basel: prices, booking deadlines and alternatives in the region.
Sources: the establishment's website, Basel Tourismus, Google Maps (address, reviews, October 2026), Google Hotels (prices checked on 23 October 2026), timetables from transport.opendata.ch, walking times calculated on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
Does Basel Youth Hostel have double rooms?
How far is Basel Youth Hostel from the station?
Corinne Schaub
Corinne spent six years on the front desk of a hotel near the Badischer Bahnhof, answering the same questions about trams, zones and the border every day. She writes the pages she would have liked to hand to her guests. She checks every fare with the operator, never in a guidebook.
