Sacred Destinations

An illustrated guide to sacred sites, pilgrimages, sacred art & architecture, historic religious places & more.
Bookmark This Page

Swiss National Museum, Zürich

Schweizerisches Landesmuseum (Swiss National Museum), Zürich
The Swiss National Museum in Zürich. Photo under GFDL.












The Swiss National Museum (Schweizerisches Landesmuseum) in Zürich is a massive and important museum that provides an epic survey of the culture and history of the Swiss people.

What to See

The museum's collection is housed in a 19th-century Neo-Gothic castle next to the train station.

The collection includes a vast amount of religious art, including 16th-century stained glass from Tanikon Convent and frescoes from the Convent Church of Mustair. Some of the Carolingian art dates from the 9th century. The altarpieces are carved, painted, and gilded.

The prehistoric section is also exceptional, with some of the artifacts dating from the 4th millennium BC.

The rest of the collection includes a large display of Roman clothing, medieval silverware, 14th-century drinking bowls, and 17th-century china, as well as painted furniture, costumes, and dollhouses of various periods. A display of weapons and armor shows the methods of Swiss warfare from 800 to 1800. There's also an exhibit tracing Swiss clockmaking from the 16th to the 18th centuries.

Special exhibitions are presented twice annually, lasting between 3 and 6 months. Themes are always different; a recent one was devoted to Swiss fashion design.

Quick Facts

Names: Swiss National Museum; Schweizerisches Landesmuseum
Address: Museumstrasse 2, Zürich, Switzerland
Phone: 01/218-65-11
Tram: 3, 4, 5, 11, 13, or 14
Hours: Tues-Sun 10:30am-5pm
Cost: 5F adults, 3F students and seniors, special exhibitions 8F-12F

Location Map

Below is a location map and aerial view of the Swiss National Museum. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Zurich Map or get our free Google Earth download.

Sources and References

  1. Personal visit (exterior only; December 2006).
  2. Rick Steves' Switzerland
  3. Frommer's Switzerland
  4. The Rough Guide to Switzerland



Sacred Destinations Home    Contact Us    About Us    About Images    Photo Prints    Advertise    Travel Blog    Spiritual Tours    Travel Blog    Timeshares    Privacy Policy
Except where indicated otherwise, all content and images © 2005-08 Sacred Destinations. All rights reserved.
Free content for your Google homepage or website! Get our photo gadget.
Sacred Destinations is an online travel guide to sacred sites, pilgrimages, holy places, religious history, sacred places, historical religious sites, archaeological sites,
religious festivals, sacred sites, spiritual retreats, religious travel and spiritual journeys. We are a Yahoo Pick!
Popular categories: Ancient Mysteries, Biblical Sites, Cathedrals, Catholic Shrines, Dead on Display, Footsteps of Jesus, Luther Sites