Basel

Basel is one of Switzerland’s underappreciated tourist sites, with a gorgeous medieval old town center, a captivating Carnival, and numerous world-class art institutions designed by architects such as Renzo Piano, Mario Botta, and Herzog & De Meuron. Basel also has a Romanesque Münster (cathedral), a Renaissance Rathaus (town hall), and other instances of high quality modern architecture, including additional buildings by Herzog & De Meuron, Richard Meier, Diener & Diener, and others.

Basel, located in the Dreiländereck, is a gateway to the Swiss Jura mountains and the neighbouring towns of Zürich and Lucerne, as well as the neighboring French area of Alsace and the German Black Forest. If you have a few days to spare, there are plenty of things to see and do.

Basel is located in Switzerland’s northwestern corner. The town has borders with France and Germany and serves as the focal point of this tri-national territory, known as the Dreiländereck (three nations’ corner). Aside from its own attractions, it is a wonderful starting place for exploring the Alsace, Black Forest, and Basel-Land cantons.

The Rhine winds its way through the city, dividing it into two halves. Grossbasel (Great Basel) is located on the south and west banks of the Rhine, with the medieval old town at its heart. Kleinbasel (Little Basel) is located on the north bank and is home to most of the nightlife.

If you aim to enjoy the exquisite art shown in the numerous first-rate museums in solitude, visiting Basel may be a vacation for your voice chords. It also holds Art | Basel, the world’s finest market for modern classics and contemporary art, once a year.

Fasnacht, a carnival in Basel, is one of the most magnificent carnivals you’re likely to witness. If you go during the “three loveliest days” of the year, prepare to be surprised and don’t expect to sleep.

INFORMATION FOR TOURISTS

• BaselTourismus, +41 61 268 68 68, the local tourist information service, has offices across the city, including at the major station, Bahnhof SBB, and in the city center, in the Stadtcasino building at Barfüsserplatz, right across the street from McDonald’s. You may also visit the office at Aeschenvorstadt 36, +41 61 268 68 32, to arrange guided tours.

Basel has an Oceanic climate, according to the Köppen climate classification. The city receives an average of 120.4 days of rain or snow per year and 842 mm (33.1 in) of precipitation. The wettest month is May, with an average rainfall of 99 mm (3.9 in) in Basel. May also has the most precipitation days, with an average of 12.4 days. February is the driest month of the year, with an average of 45 mm (1.8 in) of precipitation over 8.4 days.

Basel has a land area of 23.91 square kilometers as of 2009. (9.23 sq mi). 0.95 km2 (0.37 sq mi) or 4.0 percent of this land is used for agriculture, while 0.88 km2 (0.34 sq mi) or 3.7 percent is forested. 20.67 km2 (7.98 sq mi) or 86.4 percent of the remaining area is settled (buildings or roads), and 1.45 km2 (0.56 sq mi) or 6.1 percent is rivers or lakes.

Industrial buildings accounted for 10.2 percent of the total built-up area, while homes and structures accounted for 40.7 percent and transportation infrastructure accounted for 24.0 percent. Power and water infrastructure, as well as other special developed areas, accounted for 2.7 percent of the land, while parks, green belts, and sports fields accounted for 8.9 percent. Heavy woods cover the whole wooded land region. Crops account for 2.5 percent of agricultural land, while pastures account for 1.3 percent. The municipality’s water is all flowing water.

The city of Basel, situated in the heart of the tri-border area (dreiländereck), is one of Switzerland’s most active economic districts.

Basel has a 4.6 percent unemployment rate in 2014. In 2008, there were 18 individuals working in the main economic sector, and around 9 enterprises were active in this area. In the secondary sector, 34,645 people were employed, and there were 1,176 firms. The tertiary industry employed 120,130 people and supported 8,908 firms. The municipality had 82,449 individuals who were working in some capacity, with females accounting for 46.2 percent of the workforce.

The total number of full-time equivalent jobs in 2008 was 130,988. There were 13 employment in the primary sector, with 10 in agriculture and 4 in forestry or timber production. The secondary industry employed 33,171 people, with manufacturing accounting for 24,848 (74.9 percent), mining accounting for 10, and construction accounting for 7,313 (22.0 percent). The tertiary sector employed 97,804 people. In the tertiary sector, 12,880 or 13.2 percent worked in wholesale or retail sales or motor vehicle repair, 11,959 or 12.2 percent worked in goods movement and storage, 6,120 or 6.3 percent worked in a hotel or restaurant, 4,186 or 4.3 percent worked in the information industry, 10,752 or 11.0 percent worked in the insurance or financial industry, 13,695 or 14.0 percent worked as technical professionals or scientists, 6,983 or 7.1 percent worked in education, and 16,060 worked in

In 2000, the municipality had 121,842 employees who commuted in and 19,263 workers who commuted out. The municipality is a net importer of employees, with around 6.3 people coming for every one leaving. About 23.9 percent of the workforce in Basel comes from outside Switzerland, whereas 1.0 percent of natives travel out of the country for employment. 49.2 percent of the working population utilized public transit to go to work, while 18.7 percent drove themselves.

The Roche Tower, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, has 41 storeys and is 178 meters (584 feet) tall, making it the highest skyscraper in Switzerland when it opened in 2015. Basel is also home to Switzerland’s third tallest skyscraper (Basler Messeturm, 105 m (344 ft)) and its highest tower (St. Chrischona TV tower, 250 m) (820 ft).