Give me a ring

A jewellery shop in a 13th-century building is also the workspace of the designer Anna Schmid. She uses diamonds and tourmaline in her pieces, as well as stones she collects herself on trips to the Alps. The shop also hosts temporary exhibitions, with work by Swiss-born Urs Bürki on display until 18 March.

The eyes have it

Having opened in early 2017, Viu is an ultra-modern spectacles shop has touchscreens that make it possible to customise frames created by designer Fabrice Aeberhard. Glasses are in themed collections, with names such as The Diva and The Voyager.

Takes the biscuit

A speciality of the city, Basler Läckerli biscuits are made from a 15th-century recipe that includes honey, candied fruit and gingerbread. At Läckerli Huus, open here in the Old Town since 1973, they’re yours for 19.90 francs a kilo. The shop even offers group tours of the biscuit maker’s factory in Frenkendorf on the city outskirts.

In training

There are more than 1,000 miniature locomotives for sale at model train shop Bercher & Sternlicht, including tiny but faithful replicas of the Swiss trains famous for scenic journeys, such as the Bernina Express and the Glacier Express (which links Zermatt and St Moritz). Choose your model carefully: prices are not proportional to size, and range from 20 to several hundred francs.

Image Credit: Luigi Fiano