On your right, look for the tall, pale stucco building featuring orderly rows of dark green shutters and an arched wooden door framed by ornate reddish stone. This is Haus zur Mücke, and its foundations stretch all the way back to the Roman era. Things really got wild here in the Middle Ages, though. Back then, an older version of this building was an exclusive drinking hall for the local nobility. After jousting tournaments up at Münsterplatz, which is just a short walk from here, the elites would come down to this exact spot for lavish banquets and balls. It also hosted a massive historic power shift. In 1439, a papal conclave... a highly secretive, locked down meeting to elect a leader of the Catholic church... took place inside. They elected Duke Amadeus of Savoy, who became Pope Felix the Fifth. The city eventually bought the property, and in 1545, they demolished the old hall and built the structure you see today. Then it got a major intellectual upgrade. In 1671, it became Basel's first public museum. It displayed the Amerbach Cabinet, an incredible sixteenth century Wunderkammer... literally a room of wonder filled with rare art, books, and bizarre natural specimens. The public went absolutely crazy for it. The collection grew so massive they finally had to move it to a larger space in 1849. Since then, it has served as a school. They even added that third floor in 1862 by taking the old roof completely off and placing it right back on top. Enjoy the view of this historic facade, and then we will continue our walk.
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