Basel-City offers world-class cultural and recreational opportunities

Basel-City offers world-class museums, arts and fairs. Its unique medieval carnival (“Fasnacht”) and its sports performances in soccer and tennis are just some of what the region has to offer.

Basel-City is the metropolitan centre of the Basel region. Basel university and the state-of-the-art university hospital service the entire economic region. The renowned shopping street “Freie Strasse”, culinary offers by nearly a dozen GaultMillau-ranked restaurants, the Basel zoo, swimming and bathing on the banks of the Rhine river and many other recreational facilities are distinctive for the entire region.

Basel-City offers world-class museums, art galleries and fairs: 40 museums are located on 32 square kilometers, from the internationally renowned Fondation Beyeler to the Kunstmuseum Basel, the Museum Tinguely, the Kunsthalle Basel and the Vitra Design Museum Collectors, amateurs and professionals can find their heart’s desire at one of the numerous national and international fairs such as Art Basel, Baselworld (watches and jewellery), Swissbau or Fantasy Basel. The Basel museums attract some 1.5 million visitors per year from all over the world, while the fairs draw over 800,000 guests.

Two specific highlights are known beyond the region. Firstly, the “Basler Fasnacht”, a carnival of sorts that has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 2017. Fasnacht is a moveable feast: For three days in late winter/early spring some 18,000 enthusiastic costumed and masked participants unite for parades, serenades and stand-up comedy. They are accompanied by over 180 lanterns that satirise political and social events in pictures. The traditional fringe events offer room for Basel’s brand of stand-up comedy that reflects its inhabitants’ humorous and critical attitude towards the powers that be.

Sports are Basel’s other highlight: Sports entertainment at Champions-Niveau with the football club of Basel (FCB) and the world-class Swiss Indoor tennis tournament need no introduction. Roger Federer (born in Basel-Landschaft) embodies the City’s sporting spirit like no other. Many experts consider him to be the best tennis player ever. However, he has remained a down-to-earth Basel-Landschäftler and a fan of FCB.

Basel University

• Over 12,800 students, over 3,000 international students
• Over 2,600 students come from Basel-Landschaft
• Academic Ranking of World Universities 2018: Rang 96
• CWTS Leiden Ranking 2018: Rank 236
• QS World University Rankings 2018: Rank 160
• THE World University Rankings 2018: Rank 103
   

Basel University Hospital

• Over 770 beds and 38,000 inpatient treatment per year, nearly 5,000 FTE (7,220 employees)
• More than 50% of all inpatients do not come from Basel-City

Museums, arts and fairs

• 40 museums on just 37square kilometres
• Some 1.5 million museum visitors/year
• Over 800,000 guests at various fairs

"Basler Fasnacht"

• 12,000 organised and 6,000 individual participants
• 139 cliques
• 69 piper-and-drummer groups
• 59 Brass band - “Guggenmusiken”