Top museums

Four collections – Poster, Design, Graphics and Applied Art – encompass more than 500,000 objects at the Museum für Gestaltung. Switzerland’s foremost museum of design and visual communication is also one of the leading institutions in Europe, known for its fascinating temporary exhibitions.

Founded in 2015, after just a few years the Museo d'arte della Svizzera italiana (MASI Lugano) has become one of the most visited art museums in Switzerland.

The Zentrum Paul Klee, which opened in 2005, is dedicated to the person, life and work of Paul Klee (1879–1940). It houses the worldwide largest collection of Klee's works. Paul Klee is regarded as one of the 20th century's most important artists.

For 30 years, the Fotomuseum Winterthur has been inspiring photography enthusiasts worldwide. However, the requirements of a contemporary museum and the needs of visitors have changed in recent years: With a new building and renovation project, the Fotomuseum therefore wants to realise its vision of a museum of the present. During the renovation phase from June 2023 to spring 2025, the exhibition rooms at Grüzenstrasse 44 will remain closed, but the museum will continue to offer events and digital services for visitors interested in photography.

The Kunsthaus Zürich boasts Zurich’s largest collection of modern art and is renowned both for its permanent art collection and its temporary exhibitions. In addition to works by Alberto Giacometti there are also significant pictures by Picasso, Monet and Chagall as well as numerous contemporary Swiss artists. The spectacular extension by David Chipperfield Architects will make the Kunsthaus Zürich the largest art museum in Switzerland.

The Museum Tinguely houses the world’s largest collection of art by Jean Tinguely, famous for his moving mechanical sculptures. Interactive exhibitions explore his influences, the work of his contemporaries and the latest trends.

The Mamco, Geneva’s Musée d’art moderne et contemporain is original in every way. Since it opened in 1994, Switzerland’s major contemporary art museum has operated a dynamic display policy.

Year after year, people flock to Riehen from near and far to immerse in the art world of Hildy and Ernst Beyeler. They come to view the collection of works from classical modernism or one of the sensational exhibitions. However, the building designed by Renzo Piano and its park is worth the journey too.

The Rietberg Museum in Zurich is the only art museum for non-European cultures in Switzerland and boasts an internationally renowned collection of works from Asia, Africa, America and Oceania.

Fine arts, photography and contemporary art brought together in one single spot near Lausanne station, in a cultural area that is unique in Switzerland.

A monumental panorama, a piece of European cultural heritage and a symbol of Switzerland’s humanitarian tradition – the Bourbaki Panorama brings together a multitude of stories: political events, personal outcomes, everyday stories and a slice of art, culture and media history. There is no doubt that the Bourbaki Panorama is a genuine “visual miracle”.

The Art Museum St.Gallen offers an attractive programme of exhibitions of international significance and as a treasure trove of exhibits from Eastern Switzerland is home to a rich collection of paintings and sculptures from the late Middle Ages to the present.

The villa of the Hermitage Foundation solely houses changing art exhibitions. What is permanent is the magnificent view of Lake Geneva and Notre-Dame Cathedral, a view that inspired the leading landscape painter Camille Corot.

With its charming French gardens and English park with sculptures by Richard Serra – both of which can be enjoyed on Sundays – Villa Wenkenhof is Basel’s answer to Versailles in miniature.

On the former country estate of the Chaplin family, "Manoir de Ban" in Corsier-sur-Vevey, a whole new world around the man with the bowler hat has been opened. And it’s here in the manor house with huge park that visitors learn of his private life while in the new building focus is on Chaplin’s artistic works.

Jeremias Gotthelf was the pen name of a pastor and novelist in the Emmental whose depictions of 19th-century country life made him one of Switzerland’s best-loved writers. In his carefully restored former home in Lützelflüh, the Gotthelf Centre, which opened in August 2012, beautifully evokes the period.

The visitor trail provides a complete immersion into the brand, history and products of Cailler of Switzerland. The experience is sensitive, sensual and poetic, giving the visitor a window into the world of chocolate by means of a transparent and sparkling aesthetic.

The fortifications of Bellinzona are an extraordinary example of a late-medieval defensive structure located at a key strategic point on the Alpine pass. The castles of Bellinzona are among the most marvelous examples of medieval fortified architecture in the Alps.

Each year, the Thun Art Museum hosts five temporary exhibitions that are mainly devoted to contemporary art. In addition to thematic and monographic special exhibitions, one collection exhibition is organised each year.

The interactive world of chocolate for young and old.

The Villa Langmatt, built in 1900 by Karl Moser, is a legacy of the industrialist and collector family of Sidney and Jenny Brown-Sulzer, co-founding family of Brown, Boveri & Cie., now ABB, and now serves as an impressionist and living history museum.

The museum includes the castles of Lenzburg, Wildegg, Hallwyl, Habsburg, the monastery of Königsfelden, the Legionnaire's Path, the Wettingen Monastery Peninsula, the Vindonissa Legionary Trail, the Vindonissa Museum, the Egliswil Collection Centre and the Aabach Industrial CulTOUR. Each of these monuments is an authentic witness to a long history.

More direct access than ever before: besides interactive displays, surprising objects and large-scale video screens, visitors to the Museum of Communication will now also be introduced to the fascinating world of communication by people made of flesh and blood, by our communicators.

Fondation Gianadda in Martigny is an internationally renowned cultural foundation with multi-faceted aspects. The museum offerings range from archaeological exhibits, a vintage car and sculpture park to art collections and concerts.

With the opening of the Forum Würth Rorschach, the 15th gallery of the Würth collection has begun its work. Situated directly on the lakeshore, it is the third Swiss location alongside Arlesheim and Chur.

The special museum in Romont, the Swiss Glass Museum, exhibits works of art that have been created on and behind glass. The exhibits range from Medieval glass paintings to the art of reverse glass painting. Romont houses the world's largest collection of the latter.

The Château de Prangins was built in the 18th century by Louis Guiguer, a Swiss banker living in Paris, and has hosted illustrious guests from Voltaire to Joseph Bonaparte.Overlooking Lake Geneva, this beautiful listed building is home to the Swiss National Museum.

Over 250 sewing machines are displayed in a magnificent 12th century vault.

Alfred Baur discovered his love of art during his travels to the Far East. Over a period of four decades he purchased high quality art objects and ritual artifacts made in China and Japan. Today the Baur Collection is one of the most valuable in Switzerland.

For centuries the ownership of salt mines meant wealth and power. The salt deposits at Bex, discovered in the 15th century, are still mined today. The salt mines are accessible to visitors, a museum depicts the mining of salt from 1684 to the present.