Kunstmuseum, Basel: How To Reach, Best Time & Tips

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Kunstmuseum Overview

For art lovers from around the world and most of Europe, Kunstmuseum Basel remains one of the most significant museums. With art collections for over seven centuries amassed in one place, Kunstmuseum Basel receives hundreds of art enthusiasts, art students and researchers every day.

It displays the pieces from the middle ages to the present. The museum proudly exhibits 4,000 paintings, 300,000 drawings and prints, sculptures, and installations collected over centuries. Visitors on Switzerland tours can delve into the rich artistic tapestry at Kunstmuseum Basel, where each piece tells a compelling story. With exemplary art pieces of medieval period by the likes of the Holbein family, Martin Schongauer, Lucas Caranch the Elder, Rembrandt Van Rijn, and Casper Wolff Kunstmuseum Basel is the oldest museum in Switzerland.

Due to its impressively massive historic collection of art and sculptures, Kunstmuseum Basel is now catalogued as Heritage Site of National Significance. It is a register that keeps the record of the Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance. Kunstmuseum Basel is one of 8,300 items around Switzerland that holds cultural significance.

For the art students and researchers, the museum is undoubtedly one of the leading establishments for inspiration and history. Not only it displays the largest collection of works of the Holbein family, but it also displays various works of modern art by German-Jewish artists from 1939 that Nazi-Regime in German regarded as degenerate art.

It was saved by the Kunstmuseum, brought to Switzerland and it is still on display till today. Apart from all the permanent collections from different centuries, Kunstmuseum Basel also carries out art exhibitions from time and again. The main building of the museum was designed during 1931-1936, which has now been extended by 2,750 square meters of the gallery.

How To Reach

To reach Kunstmuseum Basel, one could use the bus, train or tram. The transit lines for buses to reach the Kunstmuseum Basel are 34, 37, 50, 80, 81. The transit lines for trains are 2-Y, 3 and 6 and that of light rail 10,11, 2.

Some of the locations, one could hail a bus or a train are China Restaurant Lotus (by bus via route 34 and by train via route 6), Samsic Lounge (route 50 by bus, route 2-Y by train), Ibis (route 81 by bus and route 3 by train), from Crousti cafe (route 50 by bus and route 2-Y by the train).

Best Time To Visit

Kunstmuseum Basel is located in Basel Switzerland so it receives visitors all around the year. However, the best time to visit is from mid-May to the end of June. It is also preferable to visit during the autumn (September and October) when the weather is neither too hot nor too cold.

Even though Kunstmuseum Basel welcomes visitors and tourists throughout the year, during September and October there are not many tourists. It will give an opportunity to witness the art pieces, without having to rush around. The snowfall during winters in Basel is heavy, which makes it hard for the tourists to visit places comfortably.

Other Essential Information

Location:
Kunstmuseum Basel at located on St. Alban-Graben 16, 4051 Basel, Switzerland. There are various restaurants and other sites within walking distance. It is reachable from Basel SBB station via tram (4 minutes), line 2 bus (10 minutes), taxi (2 minutes) and by foot (11 mins).

Timing:
The Kunstmuseum Basel is open through Tuesday to Sunday. On Tuesday, the opening hours are 10 a.m to 6 p.m, On Wednesdays, the hours are 10 a.m to 8 p.m. From Thursday to Sunday, the opening hours are 10 a.m to 6 p.m.

Entry fee:
The entry to the museum to see the collections and temporary exhibitions held by the museum is free from Tuesday to Friday from 5 p.m and the first Sunday of every month.

History of Kunstmuseum Basel

It was in 1671 the museum originated when the city of Basel purchased the private collection of drawings, paintings, natural history specimens and ethnographic artifacts of lawyer Basilius Amerbach. Today this collection is named Amerbach Cabinet.

Subsequently, these collections were expanded by acquisitions, gifts to constitute the Öffentliche Kunstsammlung. The present collection of Kunstmuseum Basel is based on this collection. In the initial days, the museum was housed in 16th century Haus Zur Mücke, which was later transferred to a museum designed by architects Rudolf Christ and Paul Bonatz in 1936.

An additional building was constructed in 2016, designed by Swiss architects Christ & Gantenbein. They acquired the project competing against some of the international top architects like Peter Zumthor, Zana Hadid, Jean Nouvel, etc. The newest building cost $112 million and took three years to be completed. The final design is an angled building, keeping the same height as the original one.

While the original building now displays the art of the 15th Century to 1950, the new building has all the artworks after 1950. While a part of the ground floor and middle floor displays the permanent collections and the upper floor is reserved for all temporary exhibitions. The extension building and the original building is connected by an underground wing.

The Architecture of Kunstmuseum Basel.

The original building of Kunstmuseum Basel reflects heavily on the Romanesque revival building design. The new building of the museum stands boldly in a folding mass of bricks. The idea of art preservation reflects heavily in the building as it expresses new beginnings and continuity.

The architectural design is both archaic and modern yet contemporary. The building is at the intersection of five streets, which makes the design of building emphasise by the street facade. The grey bricks used in the designing of the building gives the whole museum a monolithic, monochromatic look, which fits right into the theme.

The bricks are enhanced by subtle colour variation. The complete architectural idea that went into the design is to make it look timeless. There is a central staircase on each floor of the new building, that connects two exhibition tracts. The genius of Christ & Gantenbein illuminates the foyer zones with round skylight, giving it an illusion of something free in space.

The rooms in the new building are rightly proportioned, giving enough room for a huge number of visitors to move about. While the floors in the gallery are striped with expensive oak, which gives a sophisticated look with the adjacent grey concrete walls. The floor in the foyer, however, is marbled complimenting galvanized steel walls that look aesthetically pleasing and makes the art hung on the wall prominent.

About the Artworks of Kunstmuseum Basel

An enormous collection of art pieces that have been collected by the authority spanning over years, Kunstmuseum Basel displays around 4,00 paintings, 300,000 drawings. The jaw-droppingly impressive collection encompasses masterpieces from the Holbein family, the art of the Renaissance period by Konrad Witz, Mathias Grünewald, Martin Schongauer, and the likes.

The pieces from 15-18th Century showcases works like:

- Portrait of Bonifacius Amerbach, 1519, the Dead Christ in the Tomb, 1521-1522 and Erasmus of Rotterdam Writing 1523 by Hans Holbein the Younger.

- Saint Christopher, ca. 1435-1445, Meeting of Joachim and Anne at the Golden Gate, ca. 1437-40 by Konrad Witz.

- Glutherd mit Artischocke, Grünspechte und Wasserzuber mit Karpfen by Sebastian Stoskopff

The pieces from 19th Century/ Classical Modernism includes artworks like:

- Seated Harlequin, 1923 by Pablo Picasso

- Self Portrait with a Japanese Print, 1887 by Vincent Van Gogh

- Island of the Dead, 1880 by Arnold Böcklin

- The Rock Needle and the Porte d’Aval 1884, by Claude Monet

The Contemporary art collection from 1960 and later includes but not limited to:

- Ifafa II, 1962 by Frank Stella

- Frankfurt, 2007 by Andreas Gursky

- Motorboat, 1965 by Gerhard Richter

- Out of The Window Number 2, 1962 by Jasper Jones

- Ten-foot flowers, 1967-68 by andy Warhol

Apart from all of these paintings and drawings, there are also numerous sculptures that hold the history and mystery of different eras.

Bistro and Shop at Kunstmuseum Basel

Kunstmuseum Basel being the center of attraction of art enthusiasts and other tourists alike, the area is surrounded by various bistros, shops, and restaurants. Not only the restaurants that are around the area but the museum itself also offers Bistros services to its visitors.

The bistro at the museum can host up to 180 people at a time. In tandem with the elegant museum, Kunstmuseum Basel's bistro is just as modern, offering breakfast, lunch, or a coffee with some of the finest desserts. The bistro also allows you to organise private events, in the open outdoor dining area with an immaculate view in nice weather.

The bistro team offers a menu full of snacks and full meals catering to a wide range of tastes. The team often caters to special requests for a party or reception. The shop at Kunstmuseum Basel is a heaven for all the art lovers who are looking to buy artistic gifts for their friends and families, or even to themselves.

With an extensive collection of books on art and architecture, DVDs, limited edition art prints, postcards, notebooks and much more. It is located across from the stairs of the passageway leading to the Neubau. The shop is open during the museum hours, for all the art lovers to collect their memoirs.

Do's and Don'ts for visitors at Kunstmuseum Basel

Being the largest art museum in Switzerland, it is reasonable that the authorities have set a certain set of rules and regulations to keep the museum protected and enjoyable for everyone. here is a list of do's and don'ts that one should follow while in Kunstmuseum Basel:

Do’s:

- If you are below the age of 12 years, make sure you are being accompanied by an adult while you visit the museum.

- Stand at a distance of at least 50 cm from the artworks.

- You can either choose to wear your jackets and coats inside the museum or you can leave it in the cloakroom.

- You can take photographs without using the flash until it says otherwise.

Don’ts:

- Food, drinks, and smoking are not allowed.

- Animals are not allowed inside the museum

- Under no circumstance, you are allowed to stand too close or touch the artworks.

- It is not allowed to enter the museum with objects like umbrellas, large bags, rain gear, luggage.

Kunstmuseum FAQs

Is photography allowed in Kunstmuseum Basel?

Photography is allowed in Kunstmuseum Basel. However, the camera flash should be off. Photography is allowed for private purposes only if anyone wants to do a professional photo shoot or video filming, they should take permission from the Marketing and Communications Department. However large camera bags and interchangeable camera lenses are required to submit in the lockers. If any of the rules are violated, the museum authority can and will remove that person from the museum premises and have the privilege of banning that person from visiting the museum in the future.

Is there any locker/washroom facility available at Kunstmuseum Basel?

Kunstmuseum Basel has a locker and cloakroom facility. The visitors are allowed to carry small bags (up to DIN A4 size) inside the museum. However large bags and luggage are to be kept in lockers. Bulky objects, walking aids, rain gears are prohibited in the museum. The authority is not liable for lost property. Lost properties, if found, are to be collected from the entrance hall in the main building.