Basel is, perhaps, the only city in the world that’s best experienced at 4 a.m. on a Monday. On a particular Monday, that is: the one after Ash Wednesday, when nearly every local with a pulse turns up in the Old Town for a parade known as the Morgenstreich. Then, on the fourth chime of the bells at Basel’s oldest church, all the lights of the city are turned off, and costumed marching bands called “cliques” fire up a tune to signal the start of Basel’s Fasnacht. This uniquely exhilarating, 72-hour Lenten Carnival illustrates an essential truth about this cosmopolitan riverside city of 170,000 that hugs Alsace and the Black Forest.

Basel may be best known for Art Basel, the world’s biggest art fair (June 18 to 21 this year), for its museums and pharmaceutical companies, and as the birthplace of the tennis legend Roger Federer. But it is, above all, a city of traditions, none more cherished than Fasnacht (March 2 to 5), which locals call the three best days of the year.

Travelers on quick grand tours of the Continent might overlook Basel, which is a shame because it boasts an Old Town as lovely as any in Europe, a collection of 40 museums, and hospitable locals who are proud to show off their hometown. In an era in which the world’s most popular destinations are often under siege with too many tourists, underrated but equally alluring places like Basel deserve a second look.

(After this article went to press, Switzerland’s Federal Council decided to ban all public gatherings of 1,000 people or more until March 15 as a preventive measure to contain the spread of coronavirus. This means that Basel’s Carnival will not take place as planned on March 2 to 5.)