Basel, Switzerland
A place of exciting contrasts
A city with historical buildings next to modern architecture. Where a young and dynamic art scene exists alongside world-renowned museums. Cosmopolitan ambience here, lively traditions there.
Basel can look back on over 2000 years of history. There has been a settlement here since Celtic times – and for good reason. Its geographic location between Vosges, the Black Forest and the Jura Mountains gives our city an exceptional amount of sunshine and one of the warmest climates in Switzerland.
The well-preserved Old Town, with its numerous and sometimes spectacular buildings, is witness to over two thousand years of Basel’s history.
Back before our calendar began, Basel had already been occupied by the Celts. In 30 B.C. the city’s strategically favourable position led the Romans to station its military forces on the hill now occupied by the cathedral.
One key event in the development of the city was the founding of the University in the year 1460. Many of Europe’s greatest minds came to Basel, which became a veritable centre of humanism and book printing.
The Reformation witnessed the growth of the silk weaving and dyeing industries which in turn gave rise to today’s pharmaceutical and chemical companies. The once fortified settlement is today a financial and commercial hub and a celebrated city of culture.
Basel can look back on more than 2000 years of history. A history that is still very much present today – surviving as it does in all the nooks and crannies of the city and forming an exciting contrast to the modern face of Basel.
Some of Basel’s must-see places of interest include:
The Basel Cathedral (Münster), built 800 years ago in the Romantic and Gothic styles; the Pfalz viewing terrace behind the Cathedral, with its unique views of the Mittlere Brücke and Kleinbasel on the other side of the Rhine; and the Town Hall by the Marktplatz, home to the Basel government and parliament. The Spalenberg and Spalentor are also worth seeing.
Art and Basel.
In Basel, classic modernism meets urban art. Welcome to the Swiss city with the greatest density of museums and the venue of Art Basel!
In Basel, art can be seen wherever you go, whether strolling through the beautiful Old Town or when visiting one of the almost 40 museums. With their themed collections, the museums have something for every taste, and many have reputations that stretch far beyond the Swiss border. On top of that, there are countless galleries scattered throughout the city.
The passion for art was already firmly rooted in the city on the Rhine in 1967, the year of the Picasso miracle, and recently culminated in the magnificent new extension to the Kunstmuseum. The Kunstmuseum Basel, whose history dates back to 1661, is one of the world’s very first museums. Its collection includes many major works of art from the last 700 years. Wandering through the halls, you will discover a veritable “Who’s Who” of classical modernism, from Pablo Picasso to Henri Matisse and Joan Miró to Paul Klee. Small wonder, then, that London’s The Times named the museum the fifth best in the world in 2013.
Museums in Basel
Around 40 museums with spectacular collections and special exhibitions – unique in Switzerland and at the top of the international league.
The four most popular museums in Basel
- Fondation Beyeler
- Kunstmuseum Basel | Hauptbau
- Museum Tinguely
- Vitra Design Museum
Basel, Switzerland’s most innovative region
Basel is the most dynamic commercial and industrial region in Switzerland and one of the most productive worldwide. The region gives employment to around 300,000 people from both Switzerland and abroad.
In Basel, you will find a unique concentration of innovative companies, research institutes and academic institutions, a cosmopolitan culture, an international environment and business- friendly conditions.
The city on the Rhine is a centre for life sciences and the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. It is also home to many important companies in the logistics, transport and financial services industries.
A city with historical buildings next to modern architecture. Where a young and dynamic art scene exists alongside world-renowned museums. Cosmopolitan ambience here, lively traditions there.
