Kunstmuseum Basel

The Kunstmuseum Basel is the principal art museum in Basel, Switzerland, and is built on one of Europe’s long-established public art collections, covering art from the late medieval period to the present.

Its displays include medieval and Renaissance paintings, substantial 19th- and 20th-century holdings, and modern and contemporary works. The museum’s facilities were expanded with a new building that opened in 2016 to increase exhibition space for contemporary art.

The museum’s collection traces institutional roots back several centuries and has been publicly accessible for a long period, forming a continuous civic collection. The 2016 extension was added to meet the needs of displaying larger contemporary collections and temporary exhibitions.

Located in central Basel near the historic core of the city, the Kunstmuseum sits within the cultural quarter and is readily walkable from the Rhine and Basel’s main transport hubs.

• Long-established public collection: Holds one of the oldest public art collections in Europe with strong holdings from the late medieval period through modern art.
• Significant collections: Notable for paintings by Hans Holbein the Younger and substantial 19th- and 20th-century collections.

What to See #

• Main building: The museum's historic main building houses the older parts of the collection, including works from the late medieval and Renaissance periods and 19th-century holdings.
• New building (2016): A major extension completed in 2016 added contemporary galleries and exhibition space, expanding display capacity for 20th- and 21st-century art.