Hotel Les Trois Rois

17 December 2019

Hotel Les Trois Rois in Basel has a history dating back to the first inn in the 11th century when the Münster was built.

Not much is known about this first inn, not even whether its location corresponds precisely to the current position of the hotel. The hotel was first mentioned in documents in 1681: Gasthof zu den Drei Königen (Inn of the Three Kings).

However, the three kings on the vestibule were not installed until the 18th century. During this period, the inn increasingly took on the appearance and function of a hotel. Famous visitors, such as Napoleon, members of the Austrian imperial family, and, for example, Goethe, spent the night there.

The French Revolution and occupation did not go unnoticed by the hotel either, and the French name Gasthaus Aux Trois Magots originates from these days. After all, kings were not done in these revolutionary days until Napoleon became emperor and his family members kings.

The iconic photograph of Theodor Herzl (1860-1904) was taken from the balcony of this hotel in 1901. The name also changed to Hotel Drei Könige am Rhein. The name is now again Hotel Les Trois Rois.