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85km (53 miles) NW of Zurich; 98km (61 miles) N of Bern
The third-largest city in Switzerland, Basel stands on the Rhine at the
point where the French, German, and Swiss borders meet. At the entrance
to the Swiss Rhineland, Basel is the capital of the half-canton of
Basel-Stadt. On its borders are the French Vosges, the German Black
Forest, and the Swiss Jura Mountains. Grossbasel (Greater Basel) lies on
the steep left bank, and Kleinbasel (Lesser Basel) is on the right bank.
The old imperial city stood at Grossbasel. The two parts of the city are
linked by half a dozen bridges, plus four ferries powered by river
currents. The first bridge, erected in 1225, was for centuries the only
one spanning the Rhine; it has since been replaced by the Mittlere
Rheinbrücke (Middle Rhine Bridge).
The town was a Roman fort in A.D. 374, named Basilia, and was later
ruled by prince-bishops for about 1,000 years. The Great Council met in
Basel between 1431 and 1448, during which time a pope was crowned here.
After Basel joined the Swiss Confederation in 1501, it became a
Protestant region. During the onset of the Reformation in 1529, it
served as a refuge for victims of religious persecution. They flooded in
from Holland, Italy, and France, bringing renewed vitality to Basel and
laying the foundation for the city's great golden age in the 18th
century.
As one of Switzerland's most important cultural centers, Basel saw the
development of the printing press and the book trade. In 1516 Erasmus,
the great Dutch humanist and writer, published here the first edition of
the New Testament in the original Greek. He is buried in the cathedral.
Other notable Basel residents were the painter Holbein the Younger, who
made portraits of Erasmus; the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche,
who taught at the University of Basel; Theodor Herzl, who addressed the
first Zionist World Congress here in 1897; and Jacob Burckhardt, a
native, who achieved fame with his history of the Italian Renaissance.
Today the cultural traditions of Basel live on in its many museums (27
in all), art galleries, and schools. The city has become known as an
international marketplace for art and antiquities. In 1967 its citizens
voted by referendum to purchase two well-known works by Picasso, The
Seated Harlequin and The Two Brothers. Picasso was so moved that he
donated four other paintings to Basel.
Basel, which is also a banking and industrial center, is headquarters of
the Bank for International Settlement. In addition, Basel's chemical and
pharmaceutical industry is one of the most important in the world.
Except at Carnival, the citizens of Basel are self-restrained and
industrious. The German dramatist Rolf Hochhuth has observed: "English
understatement looks like megalomania when compared to the people of
Basel." |
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Desire for a boat trip on the Rhine?
You can always experience something on board of the white fleet of the
Basle person shipping journey. The supply is as various as the
long-standing tradition of the "Rheinschifffahrt" in Basel.
Augusta Raurica
The largest archaeological open-air museum
Augusta Raurica offers more than 20 sights, including the best-preserved
ancient theatre north of the Alps, a unique recreated Roman house and a
Roman domestic animal park. Today, Augusta Raurica is the best-visited
tourist attraction in Canton Basel-Landschaft.
Basel Zoo (Zolli)
The Balois lovingly refer to their zoo, opened in 1874, by the
diminutive Zolli. Some six thousand animals, about six hundred species,
live in this park of around 11 hectares (about 28 acres). About a
million people visit the Zolli every year. In numbers of visitors that
puts it second only to Switzerland's most popular attraction, the Rhine
Fall in Schaffhausen.
City Golf Course Bachgraben
The City Golf Course is a 9 hole up to 15 hole Golf Course in the middle
of Basel. Located at "Bachgraben" it is open from September to April. A
game specification or membership in a Golfclub is not required.
Beginners can purchase the eligibility in a simple way on the place.
Europa Park in Rust
Only 1 Hour drive from Basle to the famous Funpark - Europa-Park - in
Rust.
Museum and exhibitions in Basel
Approx. 40 museums in Basel, partial with world-wide reputation. The
upper Rhine museum passport is accepted by almost all museums. |
