Kunsthaus Zürich

Kunsthaus Zürich stands on Heimplatz, a short walk uphill from the old town, next to the Schauspielhaus theatre and close to the university district. It is the art museum of the city and, since the opening of a large new wing in 2021, the largest art museum in Switzerland. The institution traces its roots to an artists' society founded in the eighteenth century, and the original museum building, designed by Karl Moser, dates from the early twentieth century. The newer extension is by the British architect David Chipperfield, and its austere stone façade faces the original building across the square.

The collection is broad. Medieval and early modern works form the historical base, and the museum is especially strong in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Swiss art has a central place, with paintings by Ferdinand Hodler, Johann Heinrich Füssli, who spent much of his career in London, and a notable group of works by Alberto Giacometti, whose sculptures and paintings give the museum a distinct local identity. Beyond Swiss art, there are paintings by Claude Monet and other French Impressionists, works by Pablo Picasso and a large holding of art by the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, which is counted among the most important outside Norway. The new building also houses the Emil Bührle collection of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting on long-term loan, a display that has prompted debate in Switzerland about the history of some of the works, and the museum includes information on that discussion.

The galleries move from older art in the original building to modern and contemporary work in the extension, and the two are linked so that you can follow the chronology fairly easily. Temporary exhibitions add themes that change throughout the year, and the museum also stages film programmes and talks. A restaurant and shop are on site, so a visit can include a meal. There are plenty of seats in the galleries, which helps if you want to stay for several hours.

Heimplatz is well served by public transport, and trams stop right outside. From the old town the walk is a few minutes up Rämistrasse, and you can combine it with Lindenhof, Grossmünster or a stroll along the lake. Fraumünster and Bahnhofstrasse are within walking distance on the other side of the Limmat, which flows through the city centre below the old town.

The museum suits art lovers, students, families who enjoy museums, and anyone with a rainy afternoon free. Allow two to three hours for a focused visit, and use the museum's website for current admission, exhibition schedules and any days with special hours. Thursday evenings are traditionally the museum's late opening, but check before you plan around it, as schedules shift.