One of the oldest cities in the world is an exotic blend of three cultures - French, German and English. Located in the place where the borders of three states (France, Switzerland and Germany) converge, it attracts with a special atmosphere. Cozy and calm Basel, whose sights silently tell of a rich history, sets all its guests on a positive wave. Three countries, united into a single whole in one settlement, give it a special charm and unique beauty.
Old City
The name of the ancient city, located in the north-west of Switzerland, comes from the word "basilisk". It is believed that in the 4th century a huge dragon lived here, which the locals were afraid of, and only one valiant knight was able to defeat the giant monster. The favorable geographical location allowed the city during the Middle Ages to significantly improveits economic position, and it becomes an important trading center in Western Europe.
Colorful Basel, whose sights enchant every tourist, is famous for its well-preserved historical district, reminiscent of the events of bygone days. The center of the Old Town is the Market Square, which has become a pedestrian zone. Here you can see the old town hall with a bright purple facade and the cathedral, which is the hallmark of the pearl of Switzerland.
Amazing religious monument
Religious landmark, which appeared at the beginning of the 20th century, is considered an excellent example of neo-Romanesque style in architecture. The Church of St. Paul, located on the left bank of the swift Rhine, is a beautiful building that all foreign guests get acquainted with. It is crowned with a high tower, decorated with statues of gargoyles (winged devils) and an old clock. The main facade is decorated with an amazing stained-glass window in the form of a Gothic rose, and the entrance to the temple is guarded by a sculpture of Archangel Michael fighting a terrible dragon.
St. Paul's Church also amazes with its interior decoration: the luxurious wall mosaic, made by the famous artist Altherr, evokes a feeling of admiration.
Unique Stele
Since the original city of Basel is located at the crossroads of three states, the local authorities, taking into account its special location, decided to perpetuate this fact by installing a stele in the upper Rhine. It's believed thatthe border runs in the middle of a turbulent river, but a symbolic monument has been erected in the modern port of Basel. Here you can look at the busy harbor filled with ships, take a ride on a tourist steamer, and after a fascinating walk, have lunch in a cozy restaurant of the same name.
Drylanderack is a unique place where each guest will visit several countries at the same time in ten minutes. The silver stele, rising above the water, is decorated with the flags of three states. Despite the fact that the Dreilandereck is not so easy to find, there are always crowds of people near the monument taking pictures with a unique object of modernity.
Kunstmuseum - the world's oldest art collection
Connoisseurs of beauty come to the city, famous for its huge number of museums, to enjoy the treasures kept by the art gallery. The Basel Art Museum exceeds even the wildest expectations of dedicated art lovers.
The fact is that the city has long attracted the attention of all creative people. In the 80s of the XV century, Johannes Amerbach, a famous printer, came here and opened his own printing house. A passionate collector collected engravings by Dürer and Graf. After his death, his son continued this undertaking and significantly expanded the collection. Basilius Amerbach acquired not only individual paintings, but also entire collections of works, as well as sketches and sketches, coins and sculptures, old books and jewelry. As a result, the museum canboast an excellent collection of brilliant works of great masters.
A magical place for art lovers
For about 70 years, the heirs of the family passed the treasury from hand to hand by will. When one of the descendants decided to sell the real treasure, the burgomaster of the city bought it in order to turn the private collection into a public one. Once a week, the city museum opened its doors to everyone.
The oldest collection of works of art was replenished every year with exhibits, and a new spacious room was required that could accommodate a rich collection. In the middle of the 19th century, a beautiful building appeared, where everything accumulated over several centuries was placed in different rooms.
Now the Kunstmuseum is the main attraction of Basel, and fans of the classics or the avant-garde will be able to find out a lot of interesting things. The exposition of the museum is divided into two parts: on the first floor, works by masters of the 15th-19th centuries are presented, and the second is dedicated to the art of the 20th century. Paintings by Rubens, Cezanne, Gauguin, Rembrandt side by side with the works of Picasso, Munch, Dali.
Next to the art gallery, a New Art Museum was built, which exhibits works by contemporary authors.
Local zoo
Speaking of Basel, it is impossible not to mention its zoo, one of the five most popular in the world. About six thousand different animals live on a vast territory of 13 hectares, for which all conditions have been created. Spacious enclosures are equipped in such a way that visitors can watch their pets,living in their familiar environment. However, all safety rules are carefully observed.
The zoo in Basel is divided into several zones: there is an aquarium, houses for elephants, enclosures for the cat family, the Australian and African pavilions. In addition, exotic and rare birds are bred here, which children enjoy watching while feeding.
Home stadium
The city, whose residents love football and closely follow sports competitions, is famous for a giant stadium that appeared on the site where the old one, built in 1893, once stood. 16 years ago it was reconstructed to host matches of the European Championship. This is how the large-capacity home stadium St. Jakob-Park was given a new lease of life.
Having a square shape, it can accommodate up to 40,000 fans, located in two-tier stands. Two huge monitors broadcast the most interesting moments of the game. After riots and fights between fans of different clubs, the guest sector is surrounded by a high fence. In addition, special nets have been installed at the stadium, which are designed to collect debris that interferes with players on the field.
It is curious that a modern shopping center with boutiques of the most fashionable stores in Europe was built on the territory of the sports facility. Here you can have a bite to eat in cozy restaurants and cafes, watching what is happening in the arena. Recently, the stadium has hosted various music festivals, rock concerts and colorful holidays.
Football clubBasel
Of course, a city living in football should have its own team. And she is. The club, which repeatedly became the champion of the country, was formed at the end of the 19th century. After winning seven cups, in the 80s of the last century, he went into the shadows and for more than 20 years could not win a single champion title. However, in 2002, 2008 and 2010, the Basel football club repeats past achievements and becomes the owner of new sports trophies.
In the UEFA Champions League match, the Swiss team that competes for gold will play in the same group with CSKA Moscow, and football fans are already betting on who will be eliminated from the game. And while the Russian club is losing.
Annual fun festival Fasnacht
Every year the city of Basel hosts a colorful festival - one of the oldest in Europe. It begins in February or March, on Monday in Holy Week. The large-scale event gathers thousands of tourists who admire costumed processions and jousting tournaments. It must be said that in our time, the holiday has lost its religious content and turned into a real fun show, which the locals take very seriously. To participate in the annual festival, they apply in advance, think over interesting costumes and masks, make fancy lanterns, and rehearse their performances.
Fasnacht begins early in the morning, to the sound of musical instruments. Participants in colorful costumes light the way with lanterns that they have been working on for a long time. Numerous tourists do not havethe right to take part in the carnival, which lasts 72 hours. Nevertheless, vacationers who have visited the city admit that the festive atmosphere charges with positive emotions and gives a good mood.
Charming Basel, with its sights to inspire a sense of delight, is a city where the Swiss standard of living is felt in everything. Vacationers are pleasantly surprised that public transport is free for them. Foreign guests thank the authorities for such unheard-of generosity, which comes in handy when visiting interesting places. After all, there are quite a lot of them, and they are scattered throughout the territory, and it is necessary to have time to get acquainted with historical, religious and architectural monuments in a short time.
