Basel

PRELIMINARY ROUND

A traditional Swiss city on the border of France and Germany, Basel (also known as Basle or Bale in French), is a beautiful place to visit, filled with plenty of interesting activities.

Best known for its art scene, Swiss architecture, and mouth-watering chocolate creations. Located along the River Rhine, Basel is currently home to around 180,000 residents and is the third most populous city in Switzerland. The two largest cities are the University city of Geneva and the vibrant city of Zurich. While the city of Basel itself was first attested as late as the 4th century (as the Roman fort of Basilia), traces of Romano-Gaul forts in the surrounding area date back much earlier.

Its location in the Swiss Rhineland and its proximity to the border with France and Germany has helped Basel become an important city for foreign trade and banking. As well as being one of the most beautiful places to visit in Switzerland, those with an interest in culture will be pleased to know that the city has also become an art city of sorts, filled with numerous beautiful museums and galleries. The city is a key international transport hub, with its easily accessible airport, a Rhine port, three railway stations, a dense public transport network and a modern road system.

St. Jakobshalle

Capacity: 6,500

About the arena: St. Jakobshalle in Basel, the epicentre of Swiss sport, is a multi-purpose sports arena with a capacity of 6,500. On 8 April 2023, Swiss handball made history in the St. Jakobshalle. At the World Cup play-off match against the Czech Republic, 3124 handball fans attended the match of the women's national team. This almost doubled the previous audience record. The event was considered the throw-off event for the Women's EHF EURO 2024. In November and December 2024, the Swiss Handball Federation has the ambitious goal of playing in front of more than 6000 spectators. The St. Jakobshalle is an epicentre of Swiss sport. In October, the Swiss Indoors, the country's largest tennis tournament, is held in this hall. Local hero and world star Roger Federer won the tournament 9 times during his active career. The Swiss Open, a high-ranking badminton tournament, is also held annually in the St. Jakobshalle, as is the CHI Classics Basel, an international equestrian tournament.

Matches of EHF EURO 2024: Groups C & D in preliminary round