Basel City Walls

The Basel City Walls are a former complex of walls in the central part of the Swiss city of Basel. The first city wall was completed around 1080 under bishop Burkhard von Fenis. A newer wall was constructed around 1230, which is known as the Inner Wall. In 1362 the construction of a larger wall complex began due to the city's expansion; it was completed in 1398, and is known as the Outer Wall. In 1859 the city's executive decided to raze wall and gates to the ground. Three city gates and a short piece of the wall were saved from demolition and are being preserved as part of the city's heritage.

Read more about Basel City Walls:  City Gates

Famous quotes containing the words city and/or walls:

    Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion city of our God!
    He, whose word cannot be broken, Form’d for thee his own abode:
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    With salvation’s walls surrounded Thou may’st smile at all thy foes.
    John Newton (1725–1807)

    The night in prison was novel and interesting enough.... I found that even here there was a history and a gossip which never circulated beyond the walls of the jail. Probably this is the only house in the town where verses are composed, which are afterward printed in a circular form, but not published. I was shown quite a long list of verses which were composed by some young men who had been detected in an attempt to escape, who avenged themselves by singing them.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)