Basel: the meeting place of the three countries

 

Basel Town on the banks of Rhine River

As a researcher in chemistry, I have had the opportunity to attend various science conferences for a long time. A similar scientific conference was held in Basel, Switzerland, with some Nobel laureates. I submitted the research paper with the added enthusiasm that it would be in Switzerland. Because, in all the western countries, a unique beauty of autumn is observed. So the level of joy was a bit higher after the paper was selected. In the fruit season, the game of changing colors goes on the leaves of the trees here. So I decided to visit the city in a few days after the conference. That's how the Schengen visa had to be applied.

Dreiländereck (Meeting Point of three country)

Napoleon Bonaparte once said, "The history of a country is determined by its geographical location." This is absolutely true for Basel. Situated on the banks of the Rhine, the city borders France, Germany, and Switzerland. In addition, Basel is best known for its International Museums and Chemical Pharmaceuticals Hub. But the first thing that comes to my mind when I say Basel is the birthplace of tennis legend Roger Federer.

My journey began in Zurich, the commercial capital. On the way from the airport to Zurich Main Station, the famous Lindot chocolate factory caught my eye in this small, mountainous town. From here, take the Swiss train. After that it was quite evening to reach the hotel. As seen in all the popular cities in Europe, directions to get to the sights at the hotel reception are available free of charge. The same arrangement here. So without wasting the evening, I hurriedly left my bag in the hotel room and went out to see a glimpse of the city. First I went to a Swiss chocolate shop. In Kolkata, sweets are arranged in layers in the same way as sweets are kept here.

There is a map. So the next morning I decided to take a walk to see the oldest church here, the Basel Minster. Situated on the banks of the Rhine, this sandstone church was built in Romanian and Gothic style between 1019 and 1500. The main gate on the west side of the church is raised by two towers named after the two knights. Their three-dimensional statues are also visible on a high rectangular pillar in front of the main gate. The north is known as Georgestorm and the south is known as Martinstorm. Among them is a mechanical watch and a sundial in Martinstorm. However, the inside of the church is quite creepy. There are various ancient pictures and statues carved around. There is a wide space like a porch on the inside. From there you can see the heavenly view of the Rhine River!

Tram to say the main transport of Basel! These trams are highly equipped and sophisticated. Any daily or monthly ticket on the tram can be booked from the automatic kiosk at the stop. After that you can travel in all directions whenever you want. It is surprising to hear that France or Germany can be reached by pressing this tram from Basel!

After lunch at a path-restaurant with delicious gelato and tuna fish pizza, we set off to visit the dryland on the trilateral border. It is a German word, tripoint in English. Officially, the trilateral border is located somewhere in the middle of the Rhine. But a three-pronged rocket-shaped monument has been erected around the huge area adjacent to the port of Baizel to attract tourists. Its three faces point to three countries, namely France, Germany and Switzerland. In a word, Basel has brought these three countries together. There is no Man's Land at the border, there is no strict guard! It was not uncommon to see the sun gradually set on the other side of the Rhine. My mind is full of joy and my vision is fascinated. The evening was coming, so I went back, leaving that beauty behind. I captured a lot of pictures on camera. But I started counting the days waiting for the opportunity to come back.