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Swiss National Museum, Zürich

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












Located next to the train station, 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 vast collection is housed in a 19th-century Neo-Gothic castle. The displays include a large amount of medieval religious art that has not been welcome in Zürich's churches since the Reformation. These exhibits, shown mostly on the ground floor, range from 9th-century Carolingian art to frescoes from the Convent Church of Mustair and 16th-century stained glass from Tanikon Convent.

There is a Zwingli Room about the Swiss Reformation and an exceptional prehistoric section, with some 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 a reconstructed 18th-century apothecary and 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

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



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