Basel was our last port of call on the Viking Rhine River Cruise.  The city is situated in north-central Switzerland near the borders of France and Germany.  In fact, the airport that serves Basel is located in France, and we flew from there on our return to the United States.

Basel

Basel is a beautiful city and seems to be a great place to live.  Public transportation is excellent, and there are many attractions.  We were a bit surprised to find that the daytime temperature in Basel was quite warm when we visited in August, 90 degrees Fahrenheit.  The taller, cooler mountains are far to the south of the city.

Covered Pedestrian Bridge in Basel

Basel is considered by many to be the cultural capital of Switzerland.  It is famous for its many museums, and Switzerland’s oldest university, the University of Basel, was founded there in 1460.  Such notables as Erasmus of Rotterdam and Carl Jung made Basel their home.

Basel joined the Swiss Confederation in 1501, and emerged as an important commercial hub and cultural center during the Renaissance.

We thoroughly enjoyed our two day stay in this Swiss city.

Hal and Jeannine in front of our Riverboat