Basel today

Basel is a city in the north-west corner of Switzerland, on the Rhine, right where Switzerland meets France and Germany. Its borders are a short tram or walk away, and the city feels like the centre of a three-country region.

What Basel is known for

• Pharmaceuticals: Basel is a world centre of the pharmaceutical industry. Novartis and Roche both have their headquarters here.
• Art and museums: the Kunstmuseum Basel holds one of Europe's oldest public art collections, and the city has many more museums for its size. Each year Basel hosts Art Basel, a leading international fair for modern and contemporary art.
• Fasnacht: the Basel carnival begins at 4 a.m. on the Monday after Ash Wednesday with the Morgestraich, when the lights go out and drum and piccolo groups march through the old town. It lasts three days, and UNESCO lists it as intangible cultural heritage.
• The university: the University of Basel, founded in 1460, is the oldest university in Switzerland.

The Rhine and the old town

The Rhine runs through the middle of the city and is part of daily life. In summer many people swim in it. Small cable ferries cross the river using only the current. On the left bank, the Münster, a red sandstone cathedral, stands on a terrace above the water.

Getting around

• The centre is compact, and walking covers most of it.
• Trams and buses run across the city and out to the neighbouring towns.
• Basel has a Swiss railway station and a German one, so trains connect directly to both countries.
• The city's airport, EuroAirport, is just across the border in France.

To see how the city got here, read the history of Basel.