Basel Travel Guide, Switzerland

Basel: Cultural Center of Switzerland

The city of Basel, that contended to be the “European Capital of Culture” in 1997, is one of the places that you must visit when given a chance. The city is known as “Basilea” in Latin and is one of the least appreciated city in Switzerland compared to Geneva and Zurich. Basel is the second largest city and is the third most populous city in Switzerland.

The location of Basel is both interesting and unique because the city borders both Germany and France and just lies inside Switzerland borders. It is a splendid location where you can see the country’s most spectacular mountain scenery. If you are also planning to visit Germany and France as well, Basel is a good base to start the visit. An obelisk is used to mark the spot where the borders of the three countries meet and you can see that not far from Basel.

Basel is known for having worldwide well-known pharmaceutical companies  that established their headquarters in the city. Roche and Novartis are some of the companies that raised their roots in Basel. The tallest building in Switzerland is located in Basel which is Basler Messeturm.

Basel also holds the biggest carnival in Switzerland, the Carnival of Basel which last for 72 hours. This is called Basler Fasnacht. Another Basel event which features the watch and jewelry industry is Baselworld where specialists in watches, jewelry and precious gems display their latest and newest items to those who also specialize in that industry. That is the reason why most watch, gem and jewelry specialists wait for Baselworld to show their exclusive products. Be assured that the products in Baselworld are unique and are one of a kind.

The city has an old town with historical churches, museums and modern architecture to offer to the tourist. A contrasting feature of the city of Basel is that the people are tradition-conscious and open-minded at the same time. Basel has over 30 museums and art galleries and is known for hosting the world’s largest contemporary art fair every year.

Basel has so many places to offer for you to relax and unwind. Also a green city, Basel offers The Botanical Gardens, parks and even the banks of Rhine which are the perfect place in Basel to visit. Basel, Switzerland has a lot to offer and hearing it or reading about it is not enough to explain the beauty of the city and its people.

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• Middle Bridge
  travel tip by davidsbeenhere posted more then 30 days ago
  The Middle Bridge connects lessor Basel with main Basel. In the medieval days this bridge was half wood and half stone. The reason they did this was because the people who lived in lessor Basel were considered to be poor and on the side...

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