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 shipping, 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 advise you personally, plan together, coordinate professionally, and bring in all our event experience.
Our kitchen, service, nautical, and administration crew – each individual team member – ensures with commitment that your event runs smoothly. We all work motivated, thinking entrepreneurially and always with an eye on your needs.
Whether experience, round, or extra trip: with us you get everything from one source – from consulting 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 companionship 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 surprise our guests time and again.
Based on these two value focuses, we orient ourselves to the following attitudes: enjoyment, companionship, 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 ship landing. Thus, the time for Basel's steam navigation seemed to have come. But just 17 years later, passenger shipping 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 once again a passenger ship docked in Basel. This was mainly thanks to the engineer Rudolf Gelpke (1873–1940), who dedicated his life to navigation on the Upper and High Rhine. He successfully opposed all prejudices of that time – and success would prove him right. However, with the outbreak of World War I, operations had to be suspended again. Shortly before, the power plant and lock 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 launch of the vessel built by Buss AG, 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 cheaper thanks to lower construction costs in Germany. Since the Basler Personenschifffahrts-Gesellschaft rejected a partnership with the BRAG, liquidation followed in 1928. In 1968, the BRAG was sold to a foreign corporation. Fortunately, passenger shipping was excluded – the Basler Personenschifffahrts-Gesellschaft was newly founded in the form of a stock corporation and has since been called Basler Personenschifffahrt AG (BPG). With the support of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, the urgently needed fleet renewal was advanced.
Anniversary “Syt 100 Joor uff em Rhy”
In the year 2025 we celebrate 100 years of modern passenger shipping in Basel since the launching of the MS Rheinfelden on April 16, 1925. Under the motto “Syt 100 Joor uff em Rhy”, 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.
Guided tours on the Rhystärn, which provide a behind-the-scenes look.
Culinary cruises & theme evenings, which combine enjoyment, sociability, and Rhine romance.
Cooperations with regional partners, which bring Basel, the region, and the Rhine to the forefront. 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 locally follow the global principle of sustainability. You can find more about our commitment on the homepage.