Basel Canton with Liestal its capital, shares borders with
the cantons of Basel-Stadt, Solothurn, Aargau and the German state of Baden-Württemberg.
The canton of Basel-Landschaft lies in the north of Switzerland. The Jura
mountain chain traverses the canton and the rivers Ergolz and Birs drain its
lands.
Although it has industries, Basel is mainly a region of fertile fields,
meadows, orchards, and forests. Its inhabitants are German-speaking and
Protestant. One of the oldest intellectual centres of Europe, Basel has through
its university (founded 1460 by Pius II) attracted leading artists, scholars,
and teachers. It was the residence of Froben, Erasmus, Holbein the Younger,
Calvin, Nietzsche, and the Bernoulli family. Jacob Burckhardt and Leonhard Euler
were born there. Among the city's noted structures are the cathedral
(consecrated 1019), in which Erasmus is buried; the medieval gates; several
guild houses; the 16th-century town hall; the Kunstmuseum with a valuable
collection of Holbein's works; and the Fondation Beyeler, a modern-art museum
designed by Renzo Piano. The city has many other art galleries and museums.
The winter ambience of Basel, art and culture metropolis on the Upper Rhine,
meeting point of three nations, is truly unique.
At the open-air market, local specialities tempt the palate, while store windows
in the lanes of the old part of the city and special shopping areas, decorated
with art and originality, awake long-held dreams and make you want to window
shop.