Central Location and Superior Transportation Infrastructure

The city has the advantage of an excellent location in terms of the European transportation network, and is less than five kilometres from Germany and France. Located at the junction of major highways, Basel links to northern Germany toward Italy and Spain, and from France to Austria. Frankfurt and Milan are just about three hours away; Paris is about a five-hour drive.

Basel boasts a long-held reputation for being an instrumental rail hub. The city possesses three railway stations, and is where the German, French and Swiss Federal railway networks converge.

The Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg EuroAirport, which is located northwest of the city, is one of Europe's chief local airports and features regular daily connections to several major European destinations. The EuroAirport is operated jointly by France and Switzerland.

Basel also possesses a considerable public transportation system, which serves the city and the neighbouring suburbs.

The region also has one of Europe's most significant inner harbours, encompassing the Rhine ports of Kleinhünigen, St. Johann, Birsfelden and Muttenz. In total, the ports involve an area of 1.3 million square metres and manage close to nine tons of goods every year.

Cultural and Leisure Pleasures

Basel has a longstanding and well-earned reputation as one of Europe’s most eminent cultural cities. The city boasts numerous museums, galleries, theatres and gardens and is also famous for its music festivals. In addition, there are endless leisure activities available to suit all tastes and inclinations.

Have you ever heard of a church that is a museum? The Barfüsserkirche is exactly that. It is home to the Historical Museum, which contains the Basel Cathedral Treasury and offers interesting information about the city’s history.

he Pharmaceutical Museum offers insight about the industry that has been – and continues to be - instrumental to Basel’s wealth, and features one of the world’s biggest pharmacy-related collections.

Among the city’s other abundant museums:

• Augusta Raurica Roman Open-Air Museum
• Beyeler Museum
• Caricature and Cartoon Museum Basel
• Dollhouse Museum
• Kunsthalle Basel Modern and Contemporary Art Museum
• Monteverdi Automuseum
• Music Museum
• Natural History Museum of Basel
• Schaulager Modern and Contemporary Art Museum
• Swiss Architecture Museum
• Tinguely Museum
• Vitra Design Museum

There’s so much to do in the Basel.

In addition to its museums, the city has a lot to offer. Stroll through numerous galleries. At night, take in the opera at the Basel Theatre. Take a swim in the Rhine. Visit Solitude Park for some beautiful views, solitude and/or a peaceful break. Spend some time in Basel’s Botanical Garden, which is the oldest botanical garden in Northern Europe and is well-known for its expansive assortment of cacti and orchids.

For sporting enthusiasts, Basel features the widest choices possible. Numerous individual and team sports are readily available, including water, ball, combative and running sports, and a long list of easily accessible gyms, health clubs, and sports clubs. Take your pick of bicycling, ice skating, inline skating, golfing, horseback riding, paragliding and much, much more.

If shopping is your passion, Basel has plenty to please and impress you, including designer labels. Shop ‘til you drop everywhere – from local boutiques and old antique shops to fashionable department stores.

When it comes to gastronomic delights, Basel is almost always described in superlatives, and is considered by many in the know as “one of the most attractive culinary regions in Europe.” Running the gamut from haute cuisine to local tavern fare, the city is a culinary wonder.

As one avid enthusiast stated, “Basel whets your appetite in the most varied and delightful ways. What applies to its remarkable cultural heritage also very much applies to its culinary scene.”