ABOUT US
Since January 1, 2026, the Basler Personenschifffahrt AG is owned by UNITED WATERWAYS. Firmly anchored in Basel, the BPG has long been part of the city's tradition and the tourist offerings in the tri-border area.
With great commitment, pronounced service awareness, and high quality, we create unforgettable experiences in the areas of Cruise, gastronomy, and events.
We work efficiently, cost-conscious, flexibly, and according to environmentally friendly standards. At the same time, we continuously develop our offerings and ensure quality – always with an eye on the needs of our guests. Based on our strengths, we consistently expand our performance and competitiveness, actively seek new market opportunities and collaborations, and leverage synergies. The clear focus on our core business forms the foundation of our actions.
Whether family outing, club trip or corporate event, you are in the right place with us. From spontaneous day trips to large events, we personally advise you, plan together, coordinate professionally, and bring in all our event experience.
Our kitchen, service, nautical, and administration crew – every single team member – is committed to ensuring that your event runs smoothly. We all work motivated, think entrepreneurially, and always keep your needs in mind.
Whether experience, round, or extra cruise: with us, you get everything from a single source – from consultation and planning to culinary highlights and heartfelt service on board. Let yourself be inspired, discover new ideas, and convince yourself of our offer. We are sure: you will be thrilled!
Our core values are the foundation of our actions and reflect the experiences we enable for our guests:
Enjoyment and sociability on the Rhine
We create enjoyable experiences that invite shared enjoyment and sociable daydreaming. Whether on the sun deck, with a seasonal menu, or at special themed cruises: we want to appeal to all senses and convey a feeling of ease and relaxation.
New, open, and light
We focus on attractive and creative offers that make openness and lightness tangible. We are modern, continuously evolving, and inspired by ideas and trends. In doing so, we try new things, allow productive failure, and continually surprise our guests.
Based on these two value focuses, we orient ourselves to the following attitudes: enjoyment, sociability, nature, sensuality, dreaming, curiosity, openness, lightness, and variety.
The history of the Basel company goes back to the year 1832 . On July 28, 1832, the steamship Frankfurt docked under cannon fire and the applause of a huge crowd at the Basel landing stage. It seemed that the time for Basel's steam navigation had come. However, just 17 years later, passenger navigation on the Upper Rhine had to be discontinued – not least because on June 15, 1844, the Alsace railway reached Basel for the first time.
More than 50 years later, 1903, the Justitia I again a passenger ship docked in Basel. This was mainly due to the engineer Rudolf Gelpke (1873–1940), who dedicated his life to the Charter on the Upper and High Rhine. He successfully opposed all prejudices of that time – and success would prove him right. With the outbreak of World War I, however, operations had to be suspended again. Shortly before, the power plant and port facilities in Augst had been completed, allowing scheduled trips as far as Rheinfelden.
1924 it was again Rudolf Gelpke who, with his initiative, enabled the founding of the Basel Passenger Shipping Company in the form of a cooperative. The shares cost CHF 100.– and were intended to allow broad segments of the population to participate in the new company.
The necessary cooperative capital was easily subscribed, so that already on April 14, 1925 the launching of the ship built by Buss AG, the MS Rheinfelden could be celebrated – a historic moment that marked the beginning of modern passenger shipping on the Rhine in Basel.
Not long after, the young company came under pressure: In 1927, the Basler Rheinschiffahrt-Aktiengesellschaft (BRAG) entered the passenger business and was able to operate more cheaply in Germany thanks to lower construction costs. Since the Basler Personenschifffahrts-Gesellschaft rejected a partnership with BRAG, liquidation followed in 1928. In 1968, BRAG was sold to a foreign corporation. Fortunately, passenger shipping was excluded – the Basler Personenschifffahrts-Gesellschaft was newly founded as a joint-stock company and has since been called Basler Personenschifffahrt AG (BPG). With the support of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, the urgently needed fleet renewal could be advanced.
Anniversary “Syt 100 Joor on the Rhine”
In the year 2025 we celebrate 100 years of modern passenger shipping in Basel since the launch of the MS Rheinfelden on April 16, 1925. Under the motto “Syt 100 Joor on the Rhine” we invite the population, guests from all over the world, and our partners to celebrate this special anniversary with us.
The anniversary year is characterized by a variety of actions and events:
Anniversary actions like every 100th guest wins with surprise packages and specials.
Nostalgia cruises with the MS Baslerdybli, which brings history to life as a cult ship.
Tours on the Rhinestärn, which provide a behind-the-scenes look.
Culinary cruises & theme evenings, which combine enjoyment, sociability, and Rhine romance.
Cooperations with regional partners, which focus on Basel, the region, and the Rhine. For example, the LoveYourCity Jooresabo-Special "100 Years, 100 Stutz" in collaboration with StadtKonzeptBasel.
This is how we celebrate a century full of stories, encounters, and unforgettable moments and create new memories for the next 100 years.
We are on the way to bring our economic efficiency, management, regional anchoring, social balance, and our environment into a process suitable for future generations. In doing so, we follow the global principle of sustainability locally. You can find more about our commitment on the homepage.