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    Tourist Attractions in Basel

    The most interesting and beautiful tourist attractions in Basel. Photos and a brief description.

    Basel
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    About Basel

    Basel is located on the banks of the Rhine in a picturesque valley between the Jura mountains of the Black Forest. The city is a major industrial and commercial center of Switzerland. Due to the proximity of the river, trade has always been brisk here, and intercultural ties have been actively developing. In the XV century, Pope Pius II founded the University of Basel, which made the city one of the important centers of European education.

    The main attractions are located in the historical center around the Market Square. There are convenient walking routes for tourists. While walking through them, you can fully enjoy the beauty of urban architecture. Basel is also famous for an incredible number of interesting museums where the treasures of world art are stored.

    Top Tourist Attractions in Basel

    Basel City Hall

    The first building of the city council decorated the central square of Basel in 1290, but in the middle of the XIV century it could not stand after an earthquake. The new town hall was built in 1513 from red brick in the late Gothic style. Later, an outbuilding and a tower were added to the structure. Today, the city hall and the authorities of the canton of Basel-Stadt are meeting in the town hall. The walls of one of the halls were painted by the great artist Hans Holbein (Jr.).

    Basel City Hall
    Cathedral of Basel

    Cathedral of Basel

    The history of the temple began in the VII century with a small wooden church. In the X century, by the will of Bishop Adalbert II, they began to erect a stone building. Until 1500, the cathedral was destroyed and restored several times, so only a small part of the architecture of the Early Middle Ages has been preserved. In 1529, as a result of the victory of the supporters of the Reformation, the church passed into the hands of Protestants and since then it has been considered Calvinistic.

    Tangley Fountain

    The fountain was created by sculptor Jean Tangley, who worked in an unusual manner of "metamechanics". The structure consists of several metal figures made from the props of the local theater that survived the fire. The behavior of the fountain is unexpected, as is the creativity of its creator. It can suddenly spray people passing by or release an impressive cloud of small droplets into the atmosphere.

    Tangley Fountain
    Jean Tangley Museum

    Jean Tangley Museum

    Zh. Tangley is a sculptor, innovator and passionate fan of kinetic art. The museum of his name exhibits amazing creations that the master created over 40 years of his creative career. Almost all the exhibits are moving, creaking, buzzing and seem quite "alive". Through his creations Zh . Tangley tried to draw people's attention to the problem of humanization of machines and human mechanization.

    Basel Art Museum

    The museum houses the largest collection of paintings in Switzerland. It is also known for exhibiting an outstanding collection of Holbeins. In addition to paintings by representatives of this famous family, in the gallery you can admire paintings by Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin, Rembrandt and Rubens. On the second floor of the museum there are works of art of the XX century, among which there are works by Dali and Picasso.

    Basel Art Museum
    Paper Factory

    Paper Factory

    The museum is located in the building of the former manufactory for the production of paper. The factory opened more than 500 years ago. At that time, it provided almost the entire Western Europe with paper. During a walk through the museum, tourists will see the carefully recreated interior, printing presses and other equipment. At some exhibits, visitors themselves can try to print something using medieval technology.

    Museum "World of Toys"

    The Basel Toy Museum has unique collections of dolls, teddy bears (there are more than 6 thousand of them here!), toy houses, furniture and dishes. Interesting exhibits come here from all over the world. The meeting will be interesting for families with children and just fans of the "toy" theme. Young visitors can move around the halls on platforms equipped with wheels.

    Museum
    Basel Museum of Antiquities

    Basel Museum of Antiquities

    The Natural Science Museum of Basel has an exhibition that tells about the history of our planet. There are skeletons of fossil animals and samples of rare minerals. Visitors can see the geological past of the Earth, the diversity of its flora and fauna, the secrets of the processes taking place in the bowels. Much can be learned about the formation of the earth's landscape and atmosphere.

    Historical Museum

    Part of the collection is located in the building of the Gothic church of the VIII century in the city center – a picturesque architectural monument of the Early Middle Ages. The temple has undergone two large-scale restorations in the XIX and XX centuries. Precious objects from the Basel Cathedral, collections of tapestries, coins, weapons and furniture are stored here. One of the branches of the museum is occupied by the "House at the Cherry Orchard" — a city palace built in the XVIII century.

    Historical Museum
    St. Paul's Church

    St. Paul's Church

    A temple on the banks of the Rhine, built in the neo-Romanesque style at the beginning of the XX century. The front facade of the building is decorated with a stained glass window in the shape of a rose, the triangular roof is crowned by a statue of the Archangel Michael with a defeated dragon. A dial is placed on the high bell tower. Despite the fact that by European standards the temple was erected relatively recently, it looks like a real medieval church.

    St. Elizabeth 's Church

    The first Protestant church erected in Switzerland after the victory of the Reformation. The church was built with funds that, after his death, a rich citizen K. Merian bequeathed to Basel. There was so much money that the authorities did not skimp on expensive materials. The grandiose spire of the church bell tower is larger than the tower of the cathedral.

    St. Elizabeth 's Church
    Gate Trellis

    Gate Trellis

    In the XIV-XV centuries, the gate was part of a fortified wall that encircled Basel and served as a reliable defense against enemies. The structure consists of two round-shaped side towers and a central square tower with a pyramidal roof. On the facade there are figures of the Virgin Mary and the apostles, as well as lions clutching the city coat of arms in their paws. In the past centuries, merchants from Alsace came to Basel through the gate of the Trellis.

    Roche Tower

    A city skyscraper in the form of an incomplete step pyramid, diluting the urban landscape of Basel with its futuristic look. It impresses with its impressive size and unusual design for this area. The tower houses the headquarters of the pharmaceutical company Roche Holding. The building also has a museum and an observation deck with views of the surrounding area. At the moment, the Roche Tower is the tallest building in Switzerland.

    Roche Tower
    Basel-Badisher-Bahnhof

    Basel-Badisher-Bahnhof

    Basel City Train Station. Interestingly, most of it belongs to Germany. The station is operated by Deutsche Bahn AG, a German railway company. There was even a checkpoint inside the station before the abolition of the borders between Switzerland and the European Union. The platforms, platforms and part of the tunnel are located in Germany, while the shops in the lobby use the Swiss franc.

    Basel SBB

    Another "not quite Swiss train station" in Basel. The fact is that part of the station is owned by France and managed by SNCF – French railways. Basel SBB serves all types of routes: suburban, domestic and international. The building was built in 1954. 50 years later, it was completely reconstructed, giving the facade features of the neo-Baroque style. Basel SBB is considered one of the busiest stations in Switzerland.

    Basel SBB
    St. Jakob Park Stadium

    St. Jakob Park Stadium

    A modern arena that hosted the matches of the European Football Championship in 2008. Also in 2016, the final match of the Europa League between Liverpool and Sevilla took place here. The stadium was built in 2001 to replace the old "Yoggeli". Especially for the beginning of 2008, St. Jacob Park was reconstructed, equipping it with more modern equipment. Today, the stands can accommodate more than 38 thousand people.

    Botanical Garden of the University of Basel

    The Basel Garden is one of the oldest in the world. It appeared at the end of the XVI century. At first, only medicinal plants were planted in it for research purposes, later decorative specimens began to appear. By the 19th century, the garden occupied a vast territory on Schoenbeinstrasse. Excursions are conducted for visitors to the garden, children are offered a thematic walk accompanied by a guide.

    Botanical Garden of the University of Basel
    Zoo

    Zoo "Lange Erlen"

    The first inhabitants of the zoo were a pair of black swans, which were brought to Basel from Australia in 1871. Until the 2000s, only birds and deer lived here, after 2007, the diversity of species expanded significantly. The Lange Erlen is part of an extensive recreation area that includes woodlands and meadows located within the city limits of Basel. Local underground sources provide residents with 50% of drinking water.

    Basel Zoo

    The main city zoo, located on 12 hectares of land in the heart of Basel. The animal enclosures are designed in such a way that the latter decide for themselves when to show themselves to people and when to hide from prying eyes. Because of this, visitors spend more time in the menagerie and get real pleasure from observing the quadrupeds. The Basel Zoo is considered one of the best in Europe.

    Basel Zoo