Basel Travel Guide

Basel lies in the north-west corner of Switzerland, and shares borders with Germany and France. This location makes it a very international place. Since the time of its emergence, Basel has always been a meeting point for people living in Europe. Nowadays Basel works closely together with its neighbour countries in such areas as culture, education and transportation.

Basel is one of the oldest cities in Switzerland. It is renowned for humanist heritage - the first country's university was opened in Basel in 1460. Many well-known scholars studied there, for example Erasmus of Rotterdam. These achievements made Basel a city of academic excellence and welcoming culture. As a result, today the biggest part of the city's economy is related to scientific industries (chemistry and pharmaceutics) and tourism.

Basel is a European cultural centre. There are nearly 40 museums and galleries. Many of them are well known all over the world, for example Kunstmuseum, Fondation Beyeler, Schaulager, Kunsthalle Basel and Jean Tinguely Museum. Basel is also famous for ArtBasel, the world's leading contemporary art fair.

If you like music, you will be impressed with the city's musical scene. Nearly 1,000 concerts are annually held in Basel, and the musicians perform various music styles - from opera and jazz, from pop music to rock. Over 26 theatres of all sizes also contribute to a rich cultural life.

Basel has a beautiful cityscape. There are many well-preserved historic buildings that have become tourist attractions. Most of them are located in the area between the Basel Zoo and the Rhine. You can visit the medieval Cathedral with its red sandstone walls, the Pfalz, The Marktplatz and Town Hall.