National Museum Zurich (Landesmuseum Zürich)

The Swiss National Museum, the Landesmuseum Zürich, stands directly beside Zurich’s main railway station, at the edge of the Platzspitz park where the Sihl and the Limmat rivers meet. The building is a large, castle-like complex designed by the architect Gustav Gull and completed in the 1890s, with towers, turrets and steep roofs that deliberately recall a historic Swiss castle. A modern extension by the architects Christ and Gantenbein, finished in the 2010s, added a bold concrete wing that contrasts with the old building and holds temporary exhibitions and further galleries.

The museum is the country’s main collection of cultural history, and its permanent displays trace how Switzerland came to be. The galleries cover archaeology from the earliest settlers onward, with finds from the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Roman period, and then move through the medieval centuries and the early modern era. You can see carved altarpieces, stained-glass panels, weapons and armour, richly decorated rooms and everyday objects that show how people lived. Later exhibitions look at the development of the modern Swiss state and its identity, including the way myths and symbols such as the Alps, neutrality and the cross emblem were built up over time. Fashion, design, clocks and furniture are all part of the collection, so the visit covers both national politics and domestic life.

One of the museum’s highlights is the sequence of period rooms and the display of Swiss arms and costume, which gives a tangible picture of earlier ways of life. Temporary shows change through the year and cover topics from craft traditions to modern history, so a repeat visit rarely feels the same. The museum has a café and shop, and the courtyard and the adjoining park are pleasant places to rest between galleries. Check the current opening times and any special programmes on the museum’s own channels before you go, as schedules vary around holidays.

The location makes it easy to fit into a day in Zurich. Arrive by train and you are within a few steps of the entrance, and the old town, the Bahnhofstrasse and the lakeshore are a short walk or tram ride away. Compared with the Kunsthaus or the museums near the lake, this one is the place for national and regional history rather than art, and it complements the Grossmünster and Fraumünster visits by filling in the wider historical background.

It suits history enthusiasts, families with older children, and rainy-day travellers who want a few solid hours indoors. Allow at least two hours for the permanent galleries and more if you want to see a special exhibition.