Basel, Zurich and Milan form a natural art and design route that can be driven from Geneva in about a week, with short road legs between cities rich in museums and architecture. Zurich lies about 280 km and 2 h 55 from Geneva Airport, Milan about 329 km and 3 h 50, and Basel sits a few hours north via the Swiss Plateau. AirportsTransfers.ch can drive each stage while you plan which collection to see next.
- Duration: six to eight days
- Route: Geneva, Basel, Zurich, Ticino, Milan
- Borders: optional crossing into Germany near Basel; the route crosses the border into Italy
- Highlights: Fondation Beyeler, Vitra Campus, Kunsthaus Zürich, Brera, the Last Supper
- Ending: fly from Milan or return to Geneva by road
Leaving Geneva
Geneva has its own museums worth a morning before departure, including the Museum of Art and History, the largest in the city, and the Ariana, devoted to ceramics and glass, and the drive north-east crosses the Swiss Plateau via Lausanne or Neuchâtel towards Bern and Basel. A stop in Bern for the Zentrum Paul Klee, a wave-shaped building by Renzo Piano housing a large Klee collection, fits naturally on the way and sets the tone for the trip.
Basel: museums by the Rhine
Basel punches far above its size in the art world. The Kunstmuseum Basel holds one of the oldest public art collections in Europe, ranging from Holbein to modern masters. In Riehen, on the edge of the city, the Fondation Beyeler presents classic modern art in a calm, light-filled building by Renzo Piano, set in a park. The Museum Tinguely, by Mario Botta on the Rhine, is devoted to the kinetic sculptures of Jean Tinguely and is a hit with all ages.
Just across the border in Weil am Rhein, Germany, the Vitra Campus is a destination for design and architecture lovers, with buildings by Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Tadao Ando and Herzog and de Meuron, whose practice is based in Basel. Basel also hosts a major international art fair each early summer, when the city fills up and hotels book out far ahead. Two full days here are well spent.
Zurich: Dada, design and the lake
Zurich is about an hour's drive from Basel. The Kunsthaus Zürich, now extended with a building by David Chipperfield, has an important collection spanning old masters to contemporary art, with notable holdings of Giacometti and Munch. The Museum für Gestaltung focuses on design, posters and graphic arts, a field in which Swiss designers made a lasting mark. By the lake, the Pavillon Le Corbusier, the architect's last building, is a colourful steel-and-glass structure, and in the old town the Cabaret Voltaire marks the birthplace of the Dada movement in 1916. Zurich West, a former industrial district, shows how old factories have been turned into galleries and studios.
Through the Gotthard to Ticino
From Zurich, the road heads south past Lake Lucerne and through the Gotthard road tunnel into Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. The change of light, language and architecture is immediate. Lugano makes a good overnight stop or a long lunch break, with its lakeside setting and the LAC cultural centre, home of the Museo d'arte della Svizzera italiana. Ticino is also known for its modern architects, including Mario Botta, whose buildings appear across the canton. From Lugano, Milan is only a short drive across the border.
Milan: masterpieces and design
Milan rewards three days. Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie must be booked well in advance, as visits are limited. The Pinacoteca di Brera holds major Italian paintings, and the Brera district around it is full of galleries and design shops. The Triennale Milano is the city's design and architecture museum, and the Museo del Novecento, overlooking the Duomo, covers twentieth-century Italian art. Fondazione Prada, in a converted distillery, combines contemporary art with striking architecture. In spring, the international furniture fair turns the whole city into a design showcase.
- Book timed tickets for the Last Supper and major exhibitions as early as possible.
- Many museums close one day a week; check before setting your stages.
- To fly home, Milan airports are a short drive from the centre.
Booking the transfers for your art tour
Book each stage as a one-way transfer, or reserve a chauffeur by the hour (minimum two hours) for museum days spread across a city. AirportsTransfers.ch shows a fixed price per vehicle before you pay online by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. On arrival at Geneva, your chauffeur waits with a name sign and follows your flight, waiting if it is delayed. Companies can request invoices, which helps for professional study trips, and child seats are available on request. For a multi-city plan, call or WhatsApp +41 78 346 56 77.
