Every year, Switzerland hosts the world’s biggest art fair in the city of Basel.
With an eclectic mix of exhibitions, ranging from photography to digital media and large-scale installations, Art Basel has long been a meeting place for new and established artists, curators, art collectors, and art lovers.
Basel’s convenient location is just part of the reason it’s so popular. By train on the fastest services, it’s less than an hour from Zürich, 3h 4m from Paris, and 4h 12m from Milan.
Here are a few tips on how to make the most of Art Basel 2024.
Image credit, courtesy of Art Basel.
What is Art Basel?
Art Basel is a large, international art fair founded in 1970 by Swiss gallerists Ernst Beyeler, Trudl Bruckner and Balz Hilt, who wanted to create a platform for discovering new talent. Since then, it has not only grown in scope and scale but also expanded to Miami, Hong Kong, and Paris. In recent years, Art Basel in Switzerland has featured more than 200 galleries representing over 4,000 artists from all five continents.
What are the dates for Art Basel 2024?
Art Basel 2024 will take place from June 13-16, 2024. If you’re traveling from elsewhere in Europe by train, you may want to give yourself a couple of extra days to savor the journey, settle into your hotel, and soak up everything the city has to offer.
Where will Art Basel be held?
Art Basel will be held at Messe Basel, an exhibition center in Basel city, designed by architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron specifically for the event. The giant, rectangular building boasts 141,000 square meters of exhibition space surrounding a central courtyard with a large circular skylight. City Lounge, as the interior plaza is called, is designed to resemble a train station.
Image credit, courtesy of Art Basel.
Why Art Basel is worth the trip
While the lineup of exhibitions and events for Art Basel 2024 has not yet been announced, now is the time to start planning your itinerary for June. And with 37 art museums and cultural institutions in Basel to choose from, you’ll need to be selective.
Here are our top picks:
Kunstmuseum Basel: home to one of the world’s oldest art collections totaling over 300,000 works from the Middle Ages up to the present day.
Fondation Beyeler: nestled in the hills just outside of Basel and described as one of the world’s most beautiful museums, its world-renowned collection includes pieces by Picasso, Matisse, Klee, and Giacometti.
Museum Tinguely: this museum hosts artwork created by Swiss sculptor Jean Tinguely, who explored the concepts of machine-like movement and automation in his abstract pieces.
Image credit, courtesy of Art Basel.
What is the best way to travel to Art Basel by train?
How to get to Art Basel from Basel’s two train stations
Traveling to Messe Basel is a breeze from either of Basel’s two main train stations.
Hop on the number 1 or 2 tram if you’re coming from Basel SBB railway station, or the number 2 or 6 tram if you’re coming from Basel Badischer Bahnhof (Basel Bad Bf) station. Either way, the Messeplatz/Exhibition Square stop will drop you right where you need to be and is no more than 10 min away.
How to get to Art Basel from Zürich
It takes less than 1h to reach Basel from Zürich on the fastest service. From the main train station, Zürich Hauptbahnhof (Zürich HB), it’s a picturesque ride past Switzerland’s green rolling hills into Basel SBB. (Don’t forget to check out the Swiss Travel Pass, which offers discounts on train travel throughout Switzerland!)
How to get to Art Basel from Paris
If you’re traveling from Paris, make your way to Gare de Lyon and take the train to Basel SBB. The quickest service will get you there in just over three hours, with the train ride giving you just enough time to enjoy a relaxing lunch or cocktail in the dining car. You’ll be in Basel before you know it.
How to get to Art Basel from Milan
If you’re vacationing in Italy’s fashion capital, head to Milano Centrale station, take the fastest direct train to Basel SBB and settle in for the roughly four-hour ride. You’ll be treated to breathtaking views the entire journey as you watch northern Italy’s flat landscape morph into Switzerland’s turquoise lakes and majestic mountain ranges.
Header image credit, courtesy of Art Basel.