Art and culture museums

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.

At the heart of the charming medieval old town of Fribourg - just a few steps from the Espace Jean Tinguely / Niki de Saint-Phalle - the museum of art and history invites you on diverse journeys of discovery. And very few people know that the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire houses the largest collection of sculptures of Switzerland.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Just a stone’s throw away from upper Lake Zurich, the 75,000 square-meter park of the tree museum welcomes you to stroll, see and enjoy. It’s here that the landscape architect Enzo Enea brought his passion to life: In an open-air museum with over 50 trees lovingly nurtured together with a feel for space and nature’s natural works of art. Since 2013 the exhibits include contemporary sculptures of well-known artists. These works of art create a subtle dialogue with the gardens and broaden the overall allure of Enea’s landscape design concept. The current exhibition includes sculptures by Jaume Plensa, Barry Flanagan, Richard Erdman, Jörg Immendorff.

Under the village square, the museum makes a world of powerful pictures and incredible stories come alive with the staged archeological excavation “Zermatlantis“.

A jewel of the Swiss museum scene is located in an elevated position above Winterthur: one of the most distinguished private collections of the 20th century awaits you in a villa hidden away behind old trees in an idyllic garden.

Driving from the village of Appenzell, via station square and Stossplatz southward, one encounters the noteworthy new building of the Kunsthalle Ziegelhütte.

The Diemtigtstube is a traditional exhibition of arts and rafts from the Diemtig Valley.

The Segantini Museum is perched on a small hill at the entrance to the village of St. Moritz. Architecturally, the building recalls a mausoleum - and inside the works of the Italian artist Giovanni Segantini are celebrated. Segantini in fact spent the last years of his life on the neighboring Schafberg and near Bergell.

The Ittinger Museum and Kunstmuseum Thurgau are at the heart of the conference and cultural centre Ittingen Charterhouse. The idyllically located former monastery in Frauenfeld, Canton Thurgau, was home to communities of monks over many centuries.