1 post tagged “switzerland”

Basel  is a city in Switzerland. One of Switzerland's underrated tourist destination, Basel has a beautiful medieval old town center, a Carnival that ranks with those of Venice and Rio de Janeiro, and several world class art museums built by architects like Renzo Piano, Mario Botta and Herzog & De Meuron. Basel is also rich in architecture old and new, with a Romanesque Münster (cathedral), a Renaissance Rathaus (town hall), and various examples of high quality contemporary architecture, including more buildings by Herzog & De Meuron, Richard Meier, Diener & Diener, and various others.

Located in the Dreiländereck (three countries' corner), Basel is a gateway to the Swiss Jura mountains and nearby cities of Zurich and Lucerne, as well as the neighboring French region of Alsace and the German Black Forest. There are a number of things to see and do if you have a few days to spend. It will be one of the eight host cities in the 2008 European Football Championships.

The town of Basel lies in the north-western corner of Switzerland. The town shares
borders with France and Germany and is the heart of this tri-national region - the
Dreiländereck (three countries' corner). Besides its own attractions it can serve as a good entry point to the Alsace, Black Forest regions or the canton of Basel-Land.  
A "Basilisk", the mythical dragon holding the coat of arms and protecting the cityThe
Rhine runs through the city in an right-angle curve and divides the town into two parts. Situated on the south and west bank is Grossbasel (Great Basel) with the medieval old
town at its center. Kleinbasel (Little Basel), featuring much of the night-life, is located on
the north bank.

Basel means art. Visiting Basel can be a holiday for your vocal cords if you plan to absorb
the beautiful art in silence exhibited in the many first-rate museums. Once a year it also
hosts ArtBasel (see Do) which is the world's premier fair for modern classics and
contemporary art.

Basel has one of the most amazing carnivals you're likely to see, called Fasnacht. If
you're there during the "three loveliest days" of the year, prepare to be amazed, and don't
expect to be able to sleep..

Even if you think your German is pretty good, and even though Basel is only just over the
German border, remember this is Switzerland and the locals speak the incomparable
and lively Baseldytsch. Of late Basel has become known as the Manchester of
Switzerland, this is due to several comparisons with the UK City. This includes, amongst
others, the weather, the multi-cultural make-up, the wide variety of shopping and eating
establishments and the surrounding geography.

During the days of the Roman Empire, the settlement of Augusta Raurica was founded
10 or 20 kilometres upstream of present Basel, and a castle was built on the hill
overlooking the river where the Basel Münster now stands. But even older Celtic
settlements (including a vitrified fort) have been discovered recently in the area predating
the Roman castle. The city's position on the Rhine long emphasised its importance:
Basel for many centuries possessed the only bridge over the river "between Lake
Constance and the sea".

The town of Basel was called "Basilia" in Latin, and this name is documented from the
year 374 AD. Since the donation of the Abbey Moutier-Grandvalto and all its possessions
to Bishop Adalbero II. in 999 till the Reformation, Basel was ruled by prince-bishops (see
Bishop of Basel, whose memory is preserved in the crosier shown on the Basle coat-of-
arms - see above). In 1019 the construction of the cathedral of Basel (known locally as
the Münster) began under German Emperor Heinrich II. In 1225–1226 the Bridge over the
Rhine was constructed by Bishop Heinrich von Thun and lesser Basel (Kleinbasel)
founded as a beachhead to protect the bridge.

For Complete Article Please follow the link Basel Travel Guide