Liestal

Liestal, formerly spelled Liesthal, is a town of about 14,800 inhabitants, 17 kilometres south of Basel, and the capital of Liestal District and of the canton of Basel-Landschaft in Switzerland. It is an industrial town with a cobbled-street old town. The name was first mentioned in 1225 and the settlement dates at least from Roman times; its development is due to its strategic location on the road between the first bridge over the Rhine at Basel and the Saint Gotthard Pass. Citizens of Liestal took part in the Burgundian Wars of 1476 and 1477 against Charles the Bold, and in 1501 the mayor swore allegiance to the Swiss Confederation, which caused repeated conflict with neighbouring Rheinfelden, then Habsburg. In the 17th century Liestal rebelled against Basel as part of the Farmers' Rebellion and was occupied by troops from that city, and three leaders of the rebellion were beheaded in Basel.