In a city of art, design and culture par excellence, Basel has over 40 museums that make part of the visvitor’s main must-sees.
These renowed museums of contemporary art are even housed in some impressive buildings designed by internationally acclaimed architects, such as Mario Botta, Renzo Piano, Herzog & de Meuron and Frank O. Gehry, for example.
Check here the museums you should not miss during your stay in Basel.
Fondation Beyeler
In 1997, the famous collection of Ernst and Hildy Beyeler in Riehen found a home in Basel that was accessible to the public.
The collection contains around 200 pictures and sculptures, and documents a completely personal view of 20th-century art by means of a firm understanding of quality.
Kunstmuseum Basel
The Kunstmuseum Basel houses the largest and most significant public art collection in Switzerland, and is listed as a heritage site of national significance.
The highlights of the collection are the works from 1400 to 1600 and art of the 19th to 21st centuries.
Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein
The Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) was one of the most important proponents of organic design in the 20th century.
His architecture continues to captivate with its natural materials and sculptural, curved forms and you may see some of his works at Vitra Design.
Museum der Kulturen Basel
Travelling in a mysterious chest, thousands of small but precious artefacts have found their way from Latin America to Basel since 1960.
Carefully and full of respect, Valentin Jaquet assembled a collection of precious folk-art objects on eighteen longer and shorter journeys to Latin America, from Mexico to Chile, which he then had packed and shipped to Switzerland.
Tinguely Museum
This museum, which is located on the banks of the Rhine, was designed specifically to house the works of one of Switzerland’s greatest contemporary artist, sculptor Jean Tinguely.
On display are 70 of Tinguely’s whimsical mechanized sculptures that were created over a span of four decades.
