The Magic of Wunschbuch (Wish Book) in Basel

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There’s a quiet corner in Basel’s Old Town — tucked into the courtyard of the Rathaus (City Hall) on Marktplatz — where people of all ages pause during the Christmas season. Here lies the Basler Wunschbuch, or the Book of Wishes: a living, public invitation to write down hopes, dreams, prayers, or simple scraps of reflection. When I visited Basel recently in December, this felt like one of the most touching traditions of the city.

The Story Behind the Wunschbuch

The Wunschbuch isn’t just a pretty idea — it’s now a Basel institution. The first of its kind in Switzerland, this “book of wishes” tradition started in the early 1990s. 

Originally placed at Barfüsserplatz during the Christmas markets, it moved in 2002 to its permanent home in the inner courtyard of Basel’s town hall. The book itself is large — a codex-style volume of some 800 pages, resting on a wooden table crafted just for it.

Each year from around late November to early January, visitors (both locals and travellers) are encouraged to write in the book: their wishes, their dreams for the coming year, their prayers, or hopes for peace, health, and love. Over time, thousands of entries accumulate — around 20,000 people contribute each year.

When the season ends, the filled pages aren’t discarded — instead, they’re preserved. The book becomes a kind of time capsule, stored in the Basel city archives.

Why This Tradition Feels So Powerful

What I loved about the Wunschbuch is how universal it is. People don’t just write wishes to Santa — many write serious hopes for peace, healing, or personal growth. Some write as if speaking to the world; others as if writing letters to themselves. There’s a real honesty and intimacy in ink.

In a hyper-digital age, the act of handwriting your wish feels deeply human — raw, tangible, and vulnerable. Anita, a blogger, described the book beautifully as “handwritten and authentic.”

Archivists in Basel recognize the Wunschbuch’s value, too: beyond being a tourist attraction, it’s a record of public sentiment, a mirror of what people most deeply long for. 

My Moment There (Second-Era Reflections)

Standing in that courtyard, pen in hand, I felt wrapped in a gentle kind of reflection — the kind that often comes more easily in your second chapter of life. I paused, thought about what really matters, and scribbled a line or two.

That’s one of the beautiful things about midlife travel: you don’t always seek adventure in the grand gestures. Sometimes, you just want to be seen, to send your hopes out into the world, and to feel like your voice matters — even if just for a moment, in a public book.

I read a few wishes from others, too: people asking for kindness, health, reconciliation. Some were hopeful, some wistful, some deeply personal. And then I closed the book gently, like tucking away a piece of my own heart.

Why I’d Encourage Other Over-50s to Visit

If you’re travelling to Basel around Christmas (or even outside the festive season, when the book appears), I would urge you to take a pause in that courtyard. Bring a small notebook, or borrow one of the city’s pens. Let yourself write something — for you, or for someone you love.

It’s not just a tradition. It’s a shared humanity ritual — a space that encourages reflection, letting go, hoping again.

And someday, when the book is archived, perhaps your wish will rest alongside thousands of others — a silent, hopeful whisper in the city’s story.

Tips for Visiting the Wunschbuch

• Where to find it: In the courtyard of Basel’s Rathaus (Town Hall), located at Marktplatz 9.
  
• When: Typically from late November until early January during the Christmas/Advent season.
  
• What to bring: A pen (there are often writing implements provided), or your own notebook.
  
• Afterwards: Take a moment to walk around the Marktplatz, explore the Christmas market, or pause by the Wunschbaum (tree of wishes) nearby, where people hang cards with their hopes.
  

Final Thought:
For me, the Basler Wunschbuch wasn’t just a tourist stop — it was a gentle invitation to reflect, hope, and connect. In my Second Era, when I travel, I’m less interested in ticking off landmarks than in touching the pulse of a place. And in that courtyard, among the wishes of so many, I felt exactly that: deeply present, quietly hopeful, and wonderfully part of something bigger

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