Kunstmuseum Basel

The Kunstmuseum Basel claims to be the oldest public art collection in the world, and it is also one of the richest in Switzerland. Its origins go back to 1661, when the city bought the private cabinet of the Amerbach family, which included a remarkable group of works by Hans Holbein the Younger. Since then, a steady flow of gifts and purchases has built a collection that runs from the late Middle Ages to the present day, and it is the leading reason that Basel calls itself a city of art. The main building on St. Alban-Graben is an imposing stone palace opened in the 1930s, joined to a newer annex across the street by a covered passage. Inside, Holbein portraits, Konrad Witz altarpieces, Dutch and Flemish masters, and a famous group of Swiss painters such as Arnold Bocklin and Ferdinand Hodler lead into the nineteenth century, with Impressionist and Post-Impressionist rooms that include Monet, Cezanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh.

The twentieth-century galleries are where many visitors linger. The museum holds one of the world-class collections of Cubism, with major works by Picasso, Braque and Leger, as well as important pieces by Klee, Kandinsky, Mondrian and Beckmann. Later rooms move on to American art and contemporary work, including strong holdings of Rothko, Newman and Warhol, so a single visit really does travel through six centuries of Western painting.

Planning is easy. Plan on two to three hours for a satisfying visit, and prepare to be selective, because the museum is large. The permanent collection has a clear route, and a free floor plan or audio guide helps you find the highlights. Special exhibitions are held in the annex or the main building, and these often have their own tickets or combined entry, so check the museum website for the current programme.

The museum is closed on Mondays in most weeks, and hours are usually longer on one evening, which can be a quiet time to visit. Many museums in Basel offer a discount with the museum pass or the city card, so if you plan to visit several, compare the cost of a pass with single tickets. Children and students often have reduced entry, and the museum runs workshops for families on selected days.

The museum is a short walk from the Munster and the old town, and a few minutes from the Rhine. Tram stops are nearby, and the area has several good cafes. If you have time, the Kunstmuseum Gegenwart, a sister site by the river, focuses on contemporary art and installations in a converted building by the river, and a combined ticket can sometimes cover both.

Pair a morning here with a lunch in the old town and an afternoon at the Fondation Beyeler or the Tinguely Museum, and you have covered the best of what Basel offers for art in a single day. Bags and umbrellas usually go to the cloakroom, photography without flash is often allowed in the permanent galleries, and the building is fully accessible.

Make a short list before you enter. If time is tight, choose Holbein, the Impressionists and the Cubist rooms, then let the rest unfold as you wander. A quiet coffee in the museum cafe or in the Rittergasse afterwards is a good way to digest what you have seen.