Vitra Campus

The Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, just over the border in Germany, is one of the world great collections of contemporary architecture and a short tram ride from central Basel. The furniture company Vitra has commissioned buildings from some of the most celebrated architects alive, and the result is an open air architecture park that you can wander through, with a design museum, a showroom and a factory complex among them. Even visitors with only a casual interest in design find it striking. The Vitra Design Museum, by Frank Gehry, is a white, curving, sculptural building that was his first work in Europe, opened in 1989. Nearby stand the former fire station by Zaha Hadid, with its sharp angles, a conference pavilion by Tadao Ando, a dome by Buckminster Fuller and the VitraHaus by Herzog and de Meuron, a stack of gabled houses that holds the furniture showroom. A tall slide tower by Carsten Hoeller lets you whoosh down from a high platform in a spiral.

The museum hosts rotating exhibitions on design, from chairs and lighting to fashion, architecture and graphic work, and the permanent displays include classics by Eames, Panton, Prouve and Nelson. The shows are thoughtful and visually strong, and they change regularly, so check the programme before you go. Guided architecture tours cover the campus buildings, including areas not otherwise open, and are the best way to understand the story behind each design.

The VitraHaus is free to enter and works as a showroom on several floors, with a rooftop terrace and a cafe. It is easy to spend an hour here even if you have no plans to buy furniture, because the settings, the views and the architecture are the draw. The factory and some buildings are open only by tour, so plan ahead if you want to go inside.

Getting there is simple. Take tram 8 from central Basel towards Weil am Rhein, a ride of about thirty minutes, and walk or catch a short bus for the last stretch. Bring your passport or identity card, because the route crosses the German border, although checks are rare. Opening times and days vary, and the museum may have a closing day, so check the museum website before you set out.

Plan on three to four hours, or half a day if you take a tour and enjoy the museum. The campus has several cafes and a restaurant, and the grounds are pleasant for a stroll, with lawns and a quiet orchard. Combine the visit with the Fondation Beyeler or the Museum Tinguely to build a whole day around modern art and architecture, and use the tram to move between them.

Slides, chairs and benches around the campus are made for people to try, so relax and play. Photography is welcome outdoors, though some exhibition rooms have restrictions. Children enjoy the slide tower and the playful architecture, and wheelchair access is good in most buildings. For anyone who loves design, this is one of the best days out from Basel.

Allow a little extra time for the shop and for photographs of the buildings from outside, since the best views of the Gehry facade are from the lawn, and check whether a guided architecture tour fits your schedule before you arrive.