Museum of Fine Arts Bern

The Museum of Fine Arts Bern is the city’s leading art museum with holdings from the late Middle Ages to today. It stands at Hodlerstrasse 8–12 in a building from 1876–1878 by Eugen Stettler and opened in 1879.

• About 4,000 paintings/sculptures and ~70,000 works on paper, photography and media – a broad sweep from the 15th century to the present.
• Core names include Hodler, Klee, Meret Oppenheim, Giacometti, Picasso – with a strong Swiss and European modernist profile.
• Extensions in 1936 (Karl Indermühle) and 1983 (Atelier 5) expanded display space.
• The 2014 Cornelius Gurlitt bequest led to a dedicated provenance research department and a public database.
• Combined ticket with the Zentrum Paul Klee and late Tuesday hours make planning flexible.

• The rotating “Collection” display – from Monet and Hodler to Meret Oppenheim and El Anatsui.
• Temporary exhibitions on modern and contemporary art, including projects tied to the Gurlitt legacy.
• Architectural layers – Stettler’s historic shell and later additions.

Rooted in the 1849 State Art Collection, the museum gained its own home built 1876–1878 by Eugen Stettler and opened on 9 August 1879. A modernist wing by Karl Indermühle followed in 1936 and the Atelier 5 extension in 1983.

From 1944 the holdings took on a more international scope around Paul Klee and major private deposits. In 2005 the Klee foundation’s works moved to the new Zentrum Paul Klee, maintaining a close partnership.

In 2014 the museum accepted the Cornelius Gurlitt bequest and set up Switzerland’s first provenance research unit; in 2015 a joint umbrella foundation with the Zentrum Paul Klee was created. A renewal is in progress: refurbishing the historic building and replacing the 1983 wing.

Location: Hodlerstrasse 8–12, 3011 Bern.

Getting there: 8–10 minutes’ walk from Bern HB; by public transport to Bärenplatz (trams 6/7/8/9; buses 12/30), then down to Waisenhausplatz and left into Hodlerstrasse.

Access: Main areas are step-free; reduced admission for disability card holders and free entry for one accompanying person.

Visiting hours: Tue 10:00–20:00; Wed–Sun 10:00–17:00; Mon closed.

Visit duration: 1.5–3 hours; up to half a day with a major special exhibition.

Best time: Tuesday after 17:00 for extended hours and fewer crowds; weekday mornings for a quieter visit.

Notes: Day ticket CHF 24; collection only CHF 15; combined ticket with the Zentrum Paul Klee CHF 32; under-16s free; Swiss Museum Pass and Museums-PASS-Musées accepted.