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Celts had inhabited this place since the 5th century B.C. A town seems to have been in place around 150 B.C. which was later fortified by the Romans. After the Romans left around 400, the Alemannic people took over but were quickly swallowed by the kingdom of the Franks. By 900 the town was part of the kingdom of Burgundy and with it fell to the German Empire in 1032. The first bishop is mentioned around 740 and he seems to have had the rule over the city as all bishops would have it coming after. In 917, the town was completely destroyed by the Huns.

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999, the bishop was made a prince by the kings of Burgundy and retained the title under the emperors until 1806. In 1225, Bishop Heinrich of Thun had a bridge built over the Rhine River which was the foundation of the future riches of the town. It was for a long time the only bridge between Lake Constance and the North Sea. 1348 half the population fell to the pest, and 1356 90 per cent of the town were destroyed by an earthquake.

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From 1431 to 1449, Basel was the centre of Christendom with the Council being held in the city. It was due to all these notables being present that the news of the battle of St Jakob was all over Europe within weeks. In this battle being fought just outside the town walls, 1,500 soldiers from the Swiss Confederation were defeated by 40'000 soldiers of the French king in a ten hour battle at such high cost to the French that they withdrew. It is believed that 6,000 French soldiers were killed, not counting the wounded. Nobody really cared to attack the Confederation after that.

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1459, the Pope donated a university to Basel, and in 1471 the emperor granted the fair privilege to the city. The fair is still held yearly in November and is considered the oldest in Europe. The University drew notable scientists of their day to Basel, such as Erasmus of Rotterdam, Paracelsus, and Holbein. In later days the University brought forth such genies as the members of the Bernoulli family or Leonhard Euler. Changing members of the Bernoulli family held the professorship for mathematics at the university for 105 consecutive years. In 1501, Basel joined the Swiss Confederation.

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After the Napoleonic wars, Basel regained independence and received together with Berne the lands formerly belonging to the prince-bishop of Basel. With the founding of the Swiss state in 1848 Basel lost all political influence in Europe and in Switzerland. In the late 19th century, Basel became a centre for the new pharmaceutical industry and remains a major player to these days. Apart from numerous historic buildings, Basel has over 60 museums.

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The language spoken is Alemannic with many French words used at the same time, but pronounced the Alemannic way. The Swiss make fun of the city as it sees itself on a par with New York, Paris, or London where culture and the arts are concerned. It is said that you may joke about everything in Basel, as the people have a high regard for the ridiculous, except about carnival which they take very seriously.

Every year, Basel hosts the World Jewellery and Watch Fair, the largest of its kind anywhere, and the Art Fair for modern art. A spinoff Art Fair is held yearly in Miami under the name Basel Art Miami. And besides that: The Swiss National Day is the 1st of August being observed with a holiday and fireworks everywhere in Switzerland except in Basel, where the fireworks and the parties are held on the 31st of July so people may sleep off their headaches during that holiday.

For further information on the city of Basel you may want to go to the official homepage of the city government basel.ch.

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Zurich's historical city straddles the Limmat River which will later join the Aar River as it comes from Berne on its way to the Rhine River. Zurich was a Roman toll collecting post, and was equipped with a Carolingian castle under Charlemagne. His son Louis the German founded the Fraumünster abbey in 853 endowing it richly with lands. After a spate under the rule of the Dukes of Zähringen, the town was made a free imperial city after the death of the last duke. The abbess of the convent was promoted to the rank of duchess, making her the ruler of the city.

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She lost her power to the gilds over the next century, and the city joined the Swiss Confederation in 1351. Zurich was one of the starting points of the Reformed Church und Ulrich Zwingli, as well as the birthplace of the Baptist Church. Zurich was a very rich city already in the 14th century, as the Manesse manuscript shows (shown in Heidelberg, Germany), a beautifully illustrated bible that was paid for by the family Manesse in Zurich. Zurich has remained the financial centre of Switzerland to this day.

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The town centre is dominated by the Grossmünster, also a gift of the German emperors, the Fraumünster, and the church of St Peter with the largest tower clock in continental Europe. Zurich boasts the most expensive and exclusive shopping mile in Switzerland, the Bahnhofstrasse. It has also a nightlife that never stops concentrated in the area between the railway station and the Grossmünster, called Dörfli (little village). Numerous restaurants, bars, and clubs are to be found there side by side.

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Zurich is situated directly on Lake Zurich, which is the main bathing site in summer. Yearly in August, it hosts the largest event organised in Switzerland, when over one million people come into the city centre for the Streetparade. Over 40 Lovemobiles (a name derived from the Berlin Loveparade) take to the streets hammering out techno sounds at maximum volume.

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Zurich has many glorious places to see and to visit; apart from buildings mentioned there is the zoo and Lindenplatz with a breathtaking view of the city. Apart from that, there is one recommendation you wouldn't first hand think of: The Imperial Chinese Garden. A gift of the city of Kunming in China for the help rendered by the town after an earthquake, it is the only complete Imperial Chinese Garden outside of China I know of.

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The language spoken in Zurich is Alemannic. The rest of Switzerland makes fun of the inhabitants of the city because they confound nightlife with culture. Zürcher (people of Zurich) denominates anybody living in the vicinity of Zurich and is not meant friendly, Stadtzürcher (people of the city of Zurich) is only used for second generation inhabitants of the town, and Gnomes of Zurich is the name for the bankers.

Famous inhabitants in the past include Lenin and Goethe. Zurich is home to the Federal Technical University whose main buildings above the city were designed and built by Gottfried Semper who had previously built the Opera at Dresden. Being already professor for architecture at the University of Zurich, he headed the finding committee for the submitted architectural plans. When these were found lacking, he drew new plans himself and took over the building supervision at the same time.

For further information on the city of Zurich you may want to go to the official homepage of the city government zuerich.ch.

This is the world's largest public square but is dotted with political offices instead of any pretty flowers or plants. This area serves as the final resting place for the communist chairman Mao Zedong. This square is famous for the 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations in China which ended in bloody civilian deaths at the arms of Chinese soldiers. In many regards, this is the center of Chinese political power and the birthplace of communist China. The long name for the square is Tian'an Men Guangchang or the Square of the Gate of Heavenly Peace. In this area, you can visit the numueros government offices, monuments and the Chinese National Museum.

The Forbidden City

The city of the emperors once reserved for only members of the imperial court now is open to visitors from near and far abroad - the largest and greatest of palaces complexes from the “old” China. Over 24 emperors issued their edicts from the halls of this grand monument for over 500 years and still serve as the symbolic center of the universe for the children of Han (China). The palace has since been converted to a “Palace Museum” and opened to the public since 1949. Another many things to see is the Imperial Garden and the hall of Supreme Harmony (the throne room). This collection of buildings takes all of its visitors back to ancient china and even see places where historic moments were made.

The Great Wall of China

Within 40 miles from Beijing, the Great Wall of China is the most famous and visible of China's cultural and ancient history. The wall was created by numerous rulers after the unification of China into one empire by Qin Shi Huangdi in 221 BC. Most hotels in the region offer tourists the visit to the Great Walls and to the Ming Tombs that house the dead emperors of China's forgotten era. You can visit the four sites that have been preserved from the damage that have occurred to the walls and check out the Great Wall Museum which shows the history of the area from the Neolithic time period. Overall, this trip is an adventurers and a archeologists wet dream.

The Lama Temple

One of Beijing's most attractice places of worship is the Buddhist Lama Temple. It is made up of five different sections or halls, where each section or hall is taller than the pervious. Thus walking through the temple represents walking from earth into the heavens. The temple was originally the home of Yongzheng who became the Qing Emperor in 1722. There are many sites to visit including the Hall of the Wheel of Dharma, which shows the statue of Tsongkhapa who is the founder of Yellow Hat Sect of Buddhism led by the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama of Tibet. The temple has gone through extreme persecution at the hands of the Chinese authorities but slowly it is coming back. Now over 70 monks serve in the temple which was built to house over 1500 monks.

Hou Hai

The area is the cental hub for the city life in Beijing and the shopping center. Hou Hai has traditionally been the home to nobles and the wealthy in aristocratic China and most of the houses here offer a glimpse back in time. Many of the lakside restaurants, bars and vafes offer attratice views and waterfront terraces for visitors. There are many activities to do including Boating, Skating, and a cheap Rickshaw tour of the entire city. During the day time, it is perfect to visit the area to shop, visit the historic landmarks and homes. But at night, it is a romantic sight to behold. Candles are lit and floated into the waters while you enjoy your romantic dinner at the waterfront glimmering in the night's beauty. Hou Hai really captures the essence of modern China trapped within its past.