Art Lover's Guide to Zurich

Switzerland’s largest city is best-known for its high-end banking industry and the historical landmarks of the Old Town, but there’s plenty for art enthusiasts to see, as well. Here’s our list of must-see places to view art in Zurich.

Museum Rietberg

Just south of the city center in the lakeside suburb of Enge, Museum Rietberg is focused on non-European art, with a collection that includes Chinese porcelain, African masks, and Himalayan Buddhist art, just to name a few. Thousands of traditional and contemporary artworks and cultural objects are housed in the museum’s historical villa and modern structures.

Museum of Art (Kunsthaus Zürich)

Centrally located just east of the Limmat, the Kunsthaus features roughly 100,000 drawings, prints, paintings, and sculptures by mostly European artists, although others such as Warhol and Rothko make an appearance. From the 13th century to the present day, the collection includes the biggest set of Munch paintings outside Norway, impressionist works, photography, and video installations.

Fraumünster Church

On the west bank of the Limmat in the Old Town, the Fraumünster dates back to the ninth century but today is known for its five stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall, created in the late 1960s.  

Helmhaus Zurich

Right on the east bank of the Limmat in the Old Town, the small Helmhaus gallery features contemporary art and is dedicated mainly to artists who are from or have worked in Switzerland.

West Zurich

In a hip area of Zurich northwest of the city center, a few galleries and institutions dedicated mostly to modern art can be found. Near the Toni-Areal light rail station is the Zurich Museum of Design (Museum für Gestaltung Zürich), while the former brewery Löwenbräu-Areal now houses two art spaces—the Zurich Art Gallery (Kunsthalle Zürich) and Migros Museum of Contemporary Art.