Museum Rietberg – Art From all Over the World

A visit to the Museum Rietberg, not far from Lake Zurich, takes visitors on a journey around the world: the collection comprises treasures from Asia, Africa, America, and Oceania, as well as elaborately carved masks from Switzerland. Besides its permanent collection, the Museum Rietberg is known for its impressively staged special exhibitions, which are renowned all over the world.

The Museum Rietberg is also interesting from an architectural point of view. Known as the “Emerald”, the more recent extension mainly runs underground. Designed by architects Alfred Grazioli and Adolf Krischanitz, in contrast to the historical villas it comprises an eye-catching, modern building, which convinces as a result of its generous scale, clarity, and restrained elegance.

The Museum Rietberg, with its three villas and surrounding parkland, can look back over a long history. For example, the famous composer, Richard Wagner, stayed at the Villa Schönberg for a number of months, during which he completed the handwritten libretto of “Tristan and Isolde”.

Incidentally, in summer the museum café offers picnic baskets for a relaxing afternoon in the park.