Visit the Swiss National Museum

The Swiss National Museum in Zurich (Landesmuseum) was opened in 1898 to provide locals and tourists alike with an overview of Swiss history. It is housed in a French-style building that bears a striking resemblance to a medieval castle.

Here you can admire remarkable collections devoted to cultural history and the decorative arts in Switzerland. There are currently 14 collections on a wide variety of themes. They contain no fewer than 870,000 objects, which are used to organise several exhibitions within the museum

Exhibitions at the museum vary over time, with temporary exhibitions focusing on modern social issues. However, there are some permanent exhibitions, notably "The History of Switzerland". It focuses on the country's political history, and even ends with topical subjects such as the dissolution of Swiss banking secrecy. Particular attention is paid to the development and growth of Switzerland from the foundation of the Helvetic Confederation at the end of the 13th century, to the official founding of the Confœderatio Helvetica in 1848.

The oldest man-made objects in the history section are terracotta shards dating from around 5000 B.C., while the most recent objects are Christmas decorations dating from 2010. That just goes to show the broad spectrum covered by the museum!

The history exhibition also deals with popularSwiss images and myths, including Heidi, Edelweiss, cowbells and William Tell. While the museum admits that there is no evidence that Wilhelm Tell ever pulled an apple out of his son's head, there is also no evidence that the event is completely imaginary.

Finally, the "Collections Gallery" presents all the objects from the 14 themes. So you'll need a few hours to visit this very dense museum! Like many visitors, you will probably be impressed by the vast collection of weapons on display in the Waffenturm (weapons tower), while a large diorama illustrates the 15th-century Battle of Murten, in which the Swiss won a famous victory over Burgundy.

There is also an area dedicated to the 'special' collection, which includes all the objects that are more difficult to classify. These include many old and contemporary toys, as well as pewter figurine moulds and cake moulds. The most astonishing is the Hallwill collection, donated to the museum by Countess Wilhelmina Von Hallwil in 1912. It contains all the objects and paintings from 800 years of aristocratic life at Hallwill Castle in Canton Aargau. It provides an insight not only into this particular lifestyle, but also into everyday life in the country and how it has evolved over the last 8 centuries.

We recommend that you opt for the audio guide, or download the " Landesmuseum " app, to enjoy the historical explanations and commentaries resulting from scientific research into the various objects. Children have not been forgotten. There are age-appropriate guided tours, discovery tours and special workshops for them.