With over 175 thousand inhabitants, Basel is the third most populated city of Switzerland and belongs to the canton of Basel-Stadt. On the shores of the Rhine River, in the northwest region of the country where the Swiss, French and German borders come together, there are internationally famous museums, as the Kunstmuseum, the city’s largest art museum. Basel, which has been an important commercial and cultural centre since the Renaissance, emerged as a chemical and pharmaceutical hub in the 20th century.
It is crossed by the Rhine River, which divides the city into two different areas: Kleinbasel, on the north bank, is the port area and the centre of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, while Grossbasel, on the south bank, is the financial and cultural centre, with many banks, art galleries and the University of Basel, Switzerland’s oldest university. The medieval old town, the red Town Hall (Rathaus) on the Marktplatz, and the Gothic Basel Minster, where the scholar Erasmus is buried, are also located on the south bank. For panoramic views, visit the live city cams.
EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg is the airport that serves Basel (3.5 km northwest of the city). It is jointly operated by Switzerland and France, as it is actually located on French soil.
