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Basel Travel Guide and Learn More About Swiss City of Basel

Welcome to the city of Basel, Switzerland! Located on the Rhine and bordered by Germany, France, and Liechtenstein, this city is home to a population of almost 200,000 people. It's easy to see why so many people have chosen Basel as their home; it has all of the amenities you would expect from a mid-sized European city: museums, restaurants, monuments, and buildings that date back hundreds of years. But there's more than meets the eye here in Basel!

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Basel is a city in Switzerland. It is located in the northwest of Switzerland on the river Rhine, 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Zurich and 25 kilometers (16 mi) south of the border with France. Basel is the capital of the canton Basel-Stadt and part of the district Basel-Land.

With a population of about 178,000 people, Basel is Switzerland's fourth most populous city after Zürich, Geneva, and Lausanne. Together with these cities and suburbs, it forms the Helvetic core area which has about 2 million inhabitants.

Canton

Basel is a canton in the northwest of Switzerland, bordering Germany and France. The canton of Basel-Stadt is surrounded by the cantons of Solothurn, Jura, Aargau and Zürich.

What are the major area in Basel

The major area, or canton, of Basel is a Swiss Canton in the northwest corner of Switzerland. It borders France and Germany, and it's considered part of the Rhine Valley. The city of Basel (population: 135,000) is its capital and largest city. The area covers 685 square miles (1,791 km2), making it one of the smallest cantons in Switzerland by land area.

Basel has a population density of 2,621 people per square mile (nearly 1 person per acre). Most people live inside city limits as opposed to rural areas; this means there are very few farms or other agricultural businesses here because most food sources come from other places instead."

Demographics

The canton of Basel (slightly more than the city itself) has a population (As of 2021) of 201,971, of whom 36.9% are resident foreign nationals.

Largest groups of foreign residents 2021; Germany, Italy, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, France, Kosovo

Population: 370,835 (as of 2010)

Spoken Languages in Basel:

Romansch is the official language in several municipalities across the canton. Additionally, German and French are spoken widely as well. However, English is also becoming more prevalent with tourism from around the world.

Religion in Basel:

The majority of people in Canton of Basel-Stadt identify as Roman Catholic. However, there are other religious groups represented within this area including Muslims and Jehovah's Witnesses.

Population

The population of Basel is 183,000 with a growth rate of 0.65% per year and an average age of 41 years old. The population density is 1,198 people per square kilometer (2,974/square mile). This makes it the second most populous canton in Switzerland behind Zürich (1st) and Bern (3rd) though only slightly ahead of Geneva which has a population density of 1,179 people per square kilometer (2,838/square mile).

1900: 109,161
1950: 183,543
2000: 166,558
2019: 177,595

Basel History:

Basel was founded in 1191 but first appeared on maps around 1250 AD. The city has been home to many artists over its history including Hans Holbein, who produced some of his most famous portraits while living there between 1516 and 1526.

Geography

Basel is a city in Switzerland. It is the capital of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, the second largest of Switzerland's cantons by population and the third largest by area. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has a border with France and Germany.

The official geographic coordinates of Basel are 47° 31' North, 7° 36' East. It lies in the northwest corner of Switzerland between the Jura Mountains and Central Alps, and also borders France on its north and east sides. The city has an area of 21 square miles (55 km²).

That said, as you may have guessed from our introduction above, Basel can be hard to define geographically because it's so spread out—it stretches over both sides of the Rhine River. This is due to its unique history: when it was founded in the 13th century as a market town between German kingdoms and French provinces (hence its name), it became one of Europe's most important trade centers thanks to its location at the intersection between these two major powers.

How is like Climate in Basel:

The climate in Basel is temperate and relatively mild. The city's location in a valley, between the Jura Mountains and the Swiss Plateau, means that it enjoys a milder climate than other cities at similar latitudes. The average winter temperature is -1 to +7 degrees Celsius (31-45 F), while summer temperatures range between 18 and 25 degrees Celsius (64-77 F). The average rainfall is 500–800 mm (20-31 in) per year, with about two-thirds falling during spring and autumn.

The Economy of Basel:

Basel is a center of the pharmaceutical industry, with around 150 companies such as Novartis and Hoffmann-La Roche operating there. It is one of the largest financial centers in Switzerland, with over 300 banks having their head offices located in the city. The city is also an important industrial center for engineering, watchmaking, and microtechnology industries. Tourism plays an important role in Basel's economy, as visitors flock to see art collections at museums such as Basel's Kunstmuseum or modern works at Fondation Beyeler contemporary art museum.

Another source of income comes from its pharmaceuticals industry - home to firms such as Novartis AG and Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd (ROG). While both have their headquarters here, they have almost no manufacturing operations within city limits; instead, most production takes place elsewhere in Switzerland or abroad - typically in low-cost locations like China or Ireland for drugs requiring large-scale fermentation processes like penicillin where economies of scale can be exploited by grouping multiple reactors together into single facilities.

Transport in Basel

Basel is a great city to explore without a car. In fact, it has one of the best public transport systems in Switzerland. The tram network is extensive and covers most of the city centre. You can use your Swiss Half Fare Card or buy tickets from ticket machines at stops or kiosks, including the ones on most trams.

Basel also has an airport where you can fly direct to Frankfurt am Main (FRA), London Stansted (STN), Munich (MUC) and Bordeaux/Ponctu de Aire-sur-l'Adour (BOD).

The rail network connects Basel with Zürich Airport, Bern and Geneva Airport by train in just under two hours. You can also travel across Switzerland via Basel by changing trains in Basel SBB station - this includes trips from Paris Gare de Lyon and Milan Centrale stations! For more information about rail travel visit www.sbb.ch

Health

Basel has a hospital, which is in the city center and about a 15-minute walk from the zoo. The hospital has a maternity ward, where you can give birth to pups or kittens if you so choose. It's also a teaching hospital, which means that it trains doctors, nurses, and other health professionals to be better at their jobs!

Education, Universities, and Colleges

There are several universities in Basel: the University of Basel, the University of Basel (medicine), the University of Basel (law), the University of Basel (business), and the University of Basel (pharmacy). The university population is approximately 43,000 students.

Colleges

The University has a total of five institutes plus an interdisciplinary institute: Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, Centre for Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies, Institute for Empirical Economic Research , Department of Finance at Swiss Finance Institute and Chair for Banking & Money Market Economics.

Culture, Museums, Literature and Art, Architecture

The culture of Basel is reflected in a wide range of museums, galleries and music venues. Every year, more than 100 festivals take place throughout the city.

The people from Basel are known for their love of art and architecture; this is one reason why many local buildings have been given landmark status. The most famous landmarks include the Münster (Basel Cathedral), St Alban's Abbey Church (also known as abbey church Saint Alban) and the Barfüsserkirche (Church of Our Lady).

The media industry has a long history in Basel; it began with publishing house Schulthess Verlag founded in 1836 by Georg Joachim Göschen and continues today with publishing houses like Kaleidoskop Editions which was founded by Peter Bichsel together with artists such as Max Bill or Jürg Lehni .

Basel's literature scene has also flourished over time: perhaps most famously through Nobel Prize winner Hermann Hesse but also through writers like Gottfried Keller , Friedrich Glauser or Walter Benjamin - who lived there briefly before his death at age 58). Some contemporary authors include Philipp Sarasin ?or Heinrich von Kleist whose work often deals with war themes like guilt or responsibility

Energy

Basel is known for its pharmaceutical industry, but it's also a leader in green energy initiatives. The city has installed wind turbines on top of buildings and solar panels on roofs, plus hydroelectric power plants in the area.

Media

Basel has a number of local and regional media outlets. The most important daily newspaper is the "Basler Zeitung", while the most important weekly newspaper is the "Basler Magazin".

Other newspapers include:

SAZ, a German-language newspaper with an emphasis on political issues;
BaslerstabliN, published by Baslerstabli.ch; and
Radio Basel (Radio 100), which broadcasts in German and French.

Events

During Basel Carnival, a giant parade takes place through the old city. The streets are closed off and thousands of spectators watch as hundreds of dancers march through town. The carnival is held every year during February or March, depending on the weather.

Basel is home to one of Europe's best art museums: Fondation Beyeler in Riehen. The museum displays works from all over the world and hosts temporary exhibitions that change annually. It also has a large sculpture garden, making it a great place for all types of art lovers!

If you love food (who doesn't?), there are plenty of options in Basel. There's everything from Michelin stars to hole-in-the wall restaurants where you can try some Swiss specialties like raclette or fondue! The obvious choice is Zum Kropf, which has been serving up traditional Alsatian cuisine since 1839—and even has its own vineyard attached to its building so they can make their own wine right there on site!

Cuisine

Basel is known for its chocolate, sausages, cheese and wine.

Chocolate is a big deal in Basel. The city has been home to three of Switzerland's largest chocolate producers: Barry Callebaut Group (which also makes cocoa butter and other byproducts), Vereinigte Schweizerische Milchindustrie AG (known as MSMI) and Suchard Frères SA. Many of the world's top chocolatiers have their headquarters here: Lindt & Sprüngli AG; Cailler Chocolate Company; Peter Vetter AG; Guylian Belgium NV; Sprungli International Ltd.; Jacobs Douwe Egberts NV; The Hershey Company (USA); Godiva Chocolatier Inc.; Zott GmbH Germany; Fazer Confectionery Finland Oy Finland

Zoo

Zoo Basel is the oldest and largest zoo in Switzerland. It is located at Binningerstrasse 100, 4058 Basel, Switzerland and open every day from 10am to 6pm (except for on Christmas Day). There are 1,000 animals of 150 species on display here.

Zoo Basel has a small but interesting collection of animals including lowland gorillas, hippopotamuses, elephants and many more. There are also numerous bird species on display such as flamingos or vultures that can be seen flying over the park.

Notable people from Basel

Basel is a city in Switzerland, located on the banks of the Rhine River. It's also known as Basle and it has a population of around 170,000 people. It's the second largest city in Switzerland and its main industries include pharmaceuticals and tourism. One of its biggest claims to fame is its annual carnival, which attracts people from all over Europe during the month of February each year.

Another notable person who comes from here is Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746–1827), an educational reformer who believed that children should be taught how to think instead of just memorizing facts or being trained for specific jobs from an early age.

Basel is a beautiful place to visit with many things to do. It has a thriving economy and many attractions for tourists. The people of Basel are friendly and welcoming, so it makes sense that so many people want to visit this beautiful place every year! We hope you enjoyed reading our travel guide and we wish you all the best in your travels!