The 10 Museums You Must Visit in Switzerland
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With a rich and diverse history, Switzerland’s museums have an exciting story to tell. However, these museum exhibitions don’t stop at the border, there are many collections that include must-see pieces from around the world. Make sure to add some of these museums on to your must-see list.
1. Bodmer Museum – Cologny
Museum, Library
Discover Your Inner Olympian
Covering 3,000 square metres, Lausanne’s Olympic Museum allows you to relive great Olympic moments on 150 screens dotted around the venue. After learning the history of the Olympic Games, you’ll leave with a greater understanding and appreciation of what it means to be an Olympian. The museum has a host of interactive events, conferences and shows throughout the year for children, adults, sports enthusiasts and couch potatoes alike.
The Olympic Museum, 1, quai d’Ouchy, Lausanne, +41 21 621 65 11
2. Luzern's Swiss Museum of Transport
Museum
Natural History Museum of Bern
Among the many Natural History Museums in Switzerland, Bern’s stands out as one of the best. Including many other interesting exhibitions, the Natural History Museum in Bern is the resting place of Barry, the ‘legendary’ rescue dog credited with saving no fewer than 40 people from the Great St. Bernard Pass in the 19th century. It also houses a collection of giant crystals found in the canton of Uri in 2005.
Natural History Museum of Bern, Bernastrasse 15, Bern + 41 31 350 71 11
![The giant Planggenstock crystals are on show at Bern’s National History Museum](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/schatz_vom_planggenstock_im_naturhistorischen_museum_der_burgergemeinde_bern_20150225_154445.webp)
3. St. Gallen’s Internationally Renowned Textile Museum
Museum
4. Ballenberg’s Open-Air Exhibition of Swiss Life
Museum
![A Bernese house rebuilt in the Ballenberg open-air museum](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/1947758.webp)
International Museum of Horology
Dedicated to the art of watchmaking, the International Museum of Horology takes you on a journey through the measurement of time, from the first crude attempts up to the present day. You can also see the artists and tinkerers at work restoring watches in the museum workshop. La Chaux-de-Fonds received recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its part in the history of timekeeping.
5. Swiss National Museum
Museum
![Swiss National Museum](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2009437.webp)