The Kirchner Museum in Davos is dedicated to the life and work of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, one of the leading German expressionists of the 20th century. After moving to Davos in 1917, he created many of his major works here. The museum houses paintings, drawings, photographs and personal items, and the building itself is a striking piece of modern architecture nestled in the Alpine landscape.
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What is this place
Kirchner Museum Davos is a single-artist museum devoted to Ernst Ludwig Kirchner on Promenade 82 between Davos Dorf and Davos Platz. Opened in 1992 in a building by Annette Gigon and Mike Guyer, it holds the most comprehensive body of his Davos-period works.
Key features
- Gigon/Guyer architecture 1992 – four glass-clad cubes with white walls, oak parquet and glass ceilings for finely diffused daylight.
- Daylight Award 2012 – national recognition of the museum’s light concept.
- Over 1,400 works spanning painting, works on paper, sculpture, textiles, plus most sketchbooks and photographs, from Die Brücke to the Swiss late period.
- Owned by the Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Foundation Davos; a non-profit private museum.
- Visitor services: public tours Tue and Sun at 16:00; step-free galleries on one level, lift to accessible restroom, easy-language texts.
What to see
- Core displays of the Davos years – alpine landscapes, portraits, studio scenes.
- Temporary exhibitions and documentary materials on Kirchner’s life, plus a research library on Expressionism.
- Glazed foyers framing Kirchner Park and alpine views – integral to the architecture.
History
Kirchner lived and worked in Davos from 1917–1938, creating a major part of his late oeuvre. In 1982 a support association and the foundation began shaping a permanent collection.
The purpose-built museum opened on 4 September 1992, the first major commission by Gigon/Guyer. In 2012 it received the Daylight Award for exemplary daylight use adapted to Davos’s alpine conditions.
Practical information
Location: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Platz, Promenade 82, 7270 Davos Platz.
Getting there: From Davos Dorf take bus 301 or 303 to Kongresszentrum, then ~200 m along the Promenade. From Davos Platz take bus 304 to Sportzentrum, then ~200 m past Kirchner Park.
Access: Galleries on one level; wheelchair available, lift to accessible WC, easy-language texts; assistance dogs welcome. One disabled parking space by the entrance; main car parks are a short walk downhill.
Visiting hours: Typically Tue–Sun 11:00–18:00, Mon closed; seasonal adjustments – often 14:00–18:00 in November and 10:00–18:00 from December.
Visit duration: 60–90 minutes; up to 2 hours with a public tour.
Best time: Weekday mornings for quieter rooms; align with Tue/Sun 16:00 public tours.
Notes: Tickets – adults CHF 20, concessions CHF 17, ages 16–18 CHF 5, under-16s free. Public tour CHF 5 on top of admission. Check holiday and seasonal special hours.
