Key info on BASEL
Population - 176,000 - from 163 countries - 30% are foreign passport holders; Switzerland's 3rd largest city behind Zürich and Geneva
Location - a seagoing-cargo port city on a strategic location on the Rhine River knee and at the furthest navigable point from Rotterdam - an age-old major junction on N-S and E-W transit routes. It lies 244 m above sea level - lowest altitude of all Swiss cities north of the Alps;
Christmas Markets - Switzerland's oldest and largest with over 180 stalls
Münster (Cathedral) - Built between 1019 and 1500; Romanesque and Gothic building in red sandstone
Trams - Tram #10 is the world's only suburban tram line that crosses an international border.
Reaction ferries - a non-motorized ferry attached to a fixed cable, that uses the current of the river to propel the ferry from one river bank to the other.
Tallest building in Switzerland - the 41 floor Roche Tower is currently the tallest building in the country.
Industrial center - banking, machinery + electro-technical manufacture, big logistics hub due to port.
Pharmaceuticals - 2 of the world's 4 largest pharmaceutical companies (Novartis and Roche) have their research and business headquarters in Basel
City of the Arts - 40 museums, 25 theatres, numerous galleries