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| Tuesday, 15 April 2008 | |
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History of Basel
Basel (German Basel, French Bâle), Switzerland's second
largest city, lying close to the French and German frontiers, has been an
independent half-canton (Basel-Stadt) since 1833, the other half being
Basel-Land. The city is built on both sides of the Rhine, which here takes a
sharp turn northward between the Swiss
Jura and the Black Forest to enter the Upper Rhine plain;
upstream from Basle the river is known as the High Rhine (Hochrhein).
Gross-Basel (Great Basle), the city's commercial and cultural center, lies on
the higher left bank; Klein-Basel (Little Basel), where most of its industry is
situated, on the flat right bank.
Situated on the Swiss frontier and at an important river crossing, Basle soon developed into an important commercial town. Its heavy commercial traffic is now served by two large railroad stations and the Rhine harbor (Rheinhafen) at Kleinhüningen, 3km/2mi north of the city on the right bank of the river (shipping exhibition, "Our Way to the Sea"; viewing terrace on the grain elevator, 55km/180ft high). At St Louis, 9.5km/6mi northwest in French territory, is the Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg International Airport, which is to be expanded into an International-European airport.
Description of the Town
Gross-Basel (Great Basel) and Klein-Basel (Little Basel) are linked by six bridges over the Rhine. From the Mittlere Rheinbrücke (Middle Rhine Bridge, 1905), on the position of the first bridge in Basle, built in 1225, there is a fine view of the Minster. Upstream from this bridge are the busy Wettsteinbrücke (built 1879, widened 1937), the Schwarzwaldbrücke (Black Forest Bridge, 1973), which is designed for through traffic and the Eisenbahnbrücke (Railroad Bridge), together with the dam of the Birsfelden hydroelectric power station. Downstream are the Johanniterbrücke (built 1882, rebuilt 1934). There are also three ferries, driven by the current, with no motors. Gross-Basel, on the left bank of the Rhine, still preserves in the central area some features reminiscent of an old Imperial city, in spite of its many modern buildings and its busy commercial activity.
Tourist Attractions in Basel
Basel - Historical
Museum; Barfüsserkirche / Historisches Museum
In Basle's busy Barfüsserplatz is the 14th C. Barfüsserkirche (church of the barefoot friars), which now houses the Historical Museum, with an important collection on the history of culture and art (renovated 1975-81); cellars constructed and reconstruction of the rood screen). Notable exhibits in the nave of the church are the Late Gothic tapestries and the "Lällenkönig" ("Babbling King"), a crowned head with a movable tongue and eyes, once the emblem of Gross-Basel (17th C.). In the aisles are weapons and furnished rooms, in the choir religious art, in the crypt the Minster treasury. Changing exhibitions on the lower level reflect the history of the city of Basle. One of the most important textile productions in the late 18th and throughout the 19th C. was that of silk ribbons.
Basel - Museum of
Art; Öffentliche Kunstsammlung
From the Basle Minster, Rittergasse, lined by handsome Rococo houses, runs southeast into St-Alban-Graben. At the corner of Dufourstrasse in a building designed by R. Christ and P. Bonatz (1932-36), is the Basle Public Art Collection or Museum of Art (Kunstmuseum), which contains the finest collection of pictures in Switzerland, including both old masters and modern art, and also a Print Cabinet.
Augst - Augusta
Raurica
A short distance uphill from Augst (signposted) is the site of the Roman colony of Augusta Raurica, founded about 27 B.C., with a large theater and the remains of several temples. At the near end of the site, on the left, is a reconstruction of a Roman house (1953-57) containing a museum. To the right is the theater (restored: performances in summer), and beyond this to the east the site of a temple, the main forum and a basilica. On a hill west of the theater are the remains of a large temple, and to the south a residential district. Southwest of the main complex is an amphitheater discovered in 1959.
Basel - Paper Mill
Museum; Papiermühle
To the east of St Alban's Monastery in Basle, on the Gewerbebach, an old Gallician paper mill has been turned into the Museum of Writing, Printing and Paper demonstrating the individual processes.
Basel – Spalentor
To the west of Basle's University is the Spalentor (1370), a fortified gate which marks the end of the old town. The town gate, once part of the old town walls, has stood alone since their destruction in the 19th C. On the left there is an old letter box by M. Berri (1801-1854) with the emblem of the Basle pigeon.
Basel - Town Hall;
Rathaus
The Mittlere Brücke leads into the Marktplatz (Market Square), which is dominated by the brightly painted Basle Rathaus (Council House). The main building, with arcades, is in Late Burgundian Gothic style (1504-21); the new wing to the left and the tall tower on the right are 19th C. additions.
The clock is the work of the Master Wilhelms (1511/1512). The wall-paintings in
the attractive courtyard are in part the work of Hans Bock (1608-11; restored).
The statue (1574) on the outer staircase represents the legendary founder of
the town, Munatius Plancus. Visitors can see the two council chambers (the
Regierungsratsaal with its impressive wood paneling and the Grossratsaal, which
contains 15 coat-of-arms of the Swiss cantons).
Basel - Zoo;
Zoologischer Garten
In the Birsig valley is Basle's large and interesting zoo (Zoologischer Garten; restaurant), affectionately known as the Zolli by the people of Basle. Founded in 1874 with 510 European animals it contains mainly exotic species. It comprises a vivarium (fish, penguins, reptiles), a bear enclosure with different species, an excellent monkey house (1970 orangutans, gorillas, proboscis monkeys, etc.), an aviary (1927) with indigenous and exotic birds, birds of prey, an antelope house and children's zoo. The zoo has been particularly successful in breeding rhinoceros. The elephants put on a performance in a special arena and give rides to children.
Basel Minster
Southeast of the Basle Marktplatz the long Münsterhügel (Minster Hill) rises above the Rhine (reached from St-Alban-Graben by way of Rittergasse). The spacious Münsterplatz, on the site of the Roman fort, is an elegant 18th C. square. The Minster stands on the highest point of the hill, dominating the city with its two slender spires, its masonry of red Vosges sandstone and its colorful patterned roof. The oldest parts of the building date from the ninth-13th C. It was rebuilt in Gothic style after an earthquake in 1356, and was a cathedral until the Reformation. The high altar and much of the furnishings were destroyed by militant Protestants in 1529. The church's greatest treasures were concealed in the vaulting of the sacristy and escaped destruction, but were sold when the canton was divided into two in 1833 and are now partly in the Historical Museum in Basle and partly dispersed among other museums throughout the world.
Basel Minster – Crypt
The Basle Minster Crypt, which can be entered from either side of the choir, contains the tombs of bishops of the 10th to the 13th C. and other monuments. The Romanesque frieze on the piers shows fabulous themes, hunting scenes and interlace ornament. The ceiling frescoes depict scenes from the life of the Virgin, the childhood of Christ and the lives of St Martin of Tours and St Margaret. On either side of the altar, formerly dedicated to the Virgin, are life-size Romanesque statues of bishops, dated by an inscription to 1202. On the right-hand side of the altar recess, also identified by an inscription, is Bishop Adalbero, builder of the earlier cathedral of 1019. Under the crossing are a collection of lapidary material and the recently excavated walls of a still earlier church of the early ninth C.
Basel Minster - St
Gallus Doorway
The Basle Minster's St Gallus doorway in the north transept (12th C.), with numerous Romanesque figures showing an archaic severity of style, is one of the oldest figured doorways in German-speaking territory. Between the slender columns on either side of the doorway are four figures, two on each side, identified by their symbols (the ox, the lion, the eagle and the angel) as Luke, Mark, John and Matthew. To right and left of the Evangelists are six tabernacles with representations of the Six Works of Mercy; above them are John the Baptist with the Lamb of God (left) and John the Evangelist; and above these figures again are two angels with the trumpets of the Last Judgment. The tympanum above the doorway depicts the Wise and Foolish Virgins, with Christ enthroned above them as the Judge of the world, flanked by Peter and Paul, who present to him the foundress and the sculptor. The large rose window above the St Gallus doorway symbolizes the Wheel of Fortune. The choir, the lower part of which is Romanesque, has round arches borne on capitals with rich foliage decoration surmounted by figures of animals. In the paving east of the choir are lines showing the plan of a ninth C. external crypt which was discovered in 1947.
Gempenfluh
From Dornach the road winds uphill through wooded country for 7km/ 4mi to Gempen (alt. 672 m/2,205ft) side road on left ascending the Gempenfluh (765 m/2,510ft), with magnificent views of the Jura and the Rhine, extending beyond Basle to Strasbourg.
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