Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich is known as a financial hub, but it also has a creative side. The Kunsthaus Zürich became the country’s largest art gallery when its extension, designed by David Chipperfield, opened in 2021. Its collection covers 800 years of art, including old masters, Swiss artists like Giacometti, works by Monet, Cézanne, Picasso, Van Gogh, and Warhol, as well as contemporary artists.
The area around the Kunsthaus is now called the Zurich Gallery Mile, best explored during the Zurich Art Weekend (June 12–14), which takes place a week before the more famous Art Basel. Galleries offer special exhibitions, guided tours, and talks, along with performances, art walks, screenings, and parties.
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The Löwenbräukunst-Areal. Photograph: Peter Baracchi/Courtesy of Löwenbräukunst Zürich
In Zurich-West, a brewery built in the 1890s was turned into an arts center in the 1990s. The Löwenbräukunst-Areal now houses several modern and contemporary galleries, including a branch of Hauser & Wirth.
Near Lake Zurich, the Museum Rietberg displays non-European art in three historic villas (one where Wagner wrote Tristan and Isolde), a modern extension, and surrounding parkland. Current exhibitions focus on Indian paintings, Japanese woodblock prints, and Chinese lacquerware.
Day trip: In Baden, just 15 minutes away by fast train, the Museum Langmatt reopened this month after two years of renovations. This art nouveau villa showcases about 50 French impressionist masterpieces by Cézanne, Degas, Gauguin, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, and others.
Lille, France
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Lille’s Palais des Beaux-Arts. Photograph: Bouilland Stephane
Paris is France’s undisputed art capital, but Lille has some excellent galleries with lower prices and far fewer crowds. It’s even quicker to reach from London by Eurostar (just 1 hour 20 minutes). The Palais des Beaux-Arts, housed in a beautiful 19th-century building, holds perhaps France’s richest art collection after the Louvre, featuring artists like Rodin, Van Dyck, Rubens, Delacroix, Goya, and Courbet (entry is only €7, compared to the Louvre’s €22).
LaM, a modern and contemporary art gallery about 30 minutes from the city center by bike, Métro, or bus, reopened in February after a major renovation. Its opening exhibition is a Wassily Kandinsky retrospective (until June 14), while the permanent collection includes works by Modigliani, Fernand Léger, Paul Klee, and Louise Bourgeois. Its sculpture garden features 10 monumental pieces by Alexander Calder and more.
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LaM museum of modern art. Photograph: Abaca Press/Alamy
Day trip: In Roubaix, 10 minutes away by fast train, an art deco former swimming pool is now the La Piscine museum. The old showers and changing rooms now display ceramics (some by Picasso), paintings, textiles, jewelry, and sculpture, all lit through stained-glass windows. In nearby Lens, the Louvre-Lens museum—a satellite of the Louvre—has 250 artworks arranged chronologically from the third century BC to the mid-19th century.
Warsaw, Poland
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Warsaw’s Museum of Modern Art opened in 2024. Photograph: Sipa US/Alamy
Warsaw’s art scene got a big boost in 2024 with the opening of the Museum of Modern Art (MSN Warsaw). Its bright white building stands in contrast to Stalin’s imposing Palace of Arts and Science next door, and it showcases Polish and international artists from the 20th and 21st centuries, including Sarah Lucas and Wolfgang Tillmans.
Other modern galleries include the Zachęta National Gallery of Art, which features 20th-century and contemporary art, from painting to installation, video, and performance. It has hosted exhibitions by artists like Marlene Dumas and Luc Tuymans, and is currently showing American abstract artist Barbara Kasten (until June 7). The Ujazdów Castle now houses the Centre for Contemporary Art, with a varied program of exhibitions, talks, films, and outdoor events in the surrounding park.
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The National Museum. Photograph: Maciek Leszczelowski/City of WarsawIt’s not just about modern art. The National Museum, founded in 1862, is one of the oldest museums in the country. Its six permanent galleries cover everything from ancient times through medieval art up to the 19th century. A standout piece is Jan Matejko’s massive Battle of Grunwald (1878), one of Poland’s most famous paintings. A temporary exhibition featuring 30 works by Krakow-born artist Olga Boznańska (1865–1940), whose art also appears at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, runs until July 5.
At the Royal Castle, the two most treasured paintings in the Lanckoroński Gallery are by an old master: The Girl in a Picture Frame and The Scholar at the Lectern, both by Rembrandt.
Day trip Łódź, just a couple of hours away by train, has three galleries covering 19th-, 20th-, and 21st-century art: the Herbst Palace Museum, MS1, and MS2.
Verona, Italy
The Castelvecchio now houses a museum. Fair Verona, home to Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, is often overlooked as an art center compared to nearby Venice. But this romantic city offers more than just Juliet’s balcony. The Palazzo Maffei, a 17th-century baroque building on Piazza delle Erbe, opened as a gallery in 2020. It’s arranged like a cabinet of curiosities, showcasing an incredible private collection of art from ancient times to today. There’s a strong focus on modern masters, including Picasso, Miró, Kandinsky, and Magritte.
GAM, the modern art gallery, is located in the Palazzo delle Ragione, one of Italy’s oldest public buildings (built in the mid-1100s). The collection spans from the early 19th century to the present, with an emphasis on the Italian avant-garde. Besides the artworks, visitors can see the palace’s beautiful Cappella dei Notai and climb the Torre dei Lamberti, the tallest building in Verona.
The Castelvecchio museum, housed in a 14th-century castle, displays Veronese and Venetian paintings from the medieval period to the 1700s, featuring works by Bellini, Tintoretto, Veronese, and Rubens.
The Palazzo della Gran Guardia hosts temporary exhibitions—most recently, the photography show Human. The VisitVerona website has an events calendar with all upcoming exhibitions.
Day trip Book ahead to see the Giotto frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, 45 minutes away by fast train. Because of the crowds there, the city’s other attractions—like the art gallery inside the nearby Eremitani Museum—are often empty.
Oslo, Norway
Modern art lovers will find plenty to admire in the Norwegian capital. Edvard Munch has his own 13-story museum, Munch, which displays three versions of The Scream and other famous works like The Sun, Madonna, The Dance of Life, and Love and Pain. The museum also features paintings by Munch’s contemporaries and holds temporary exhibitions—currently, Paula Rego (until August 2). Outside stands Tracey Emin’s 9-meter-high sculpture The Mother.
The National Museum, which opened in 2022, is the largest gallery in the Nordic countries. It has a room dedicated to Munch, with its own versions of The Scream and Madonna. Pioneering female artist Harriet Backer also has her own room, and many more Norwegian artists are displayed alongside Berthe Morisot, Matisse, Picasso, and others.
The Astrup Fearnley Museum, designed by Renzo Piano (the architect behind the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the Whitney in New York), has a leading collection of contemporary art, plus temporary exhibitions.
Day trip Munch owned a villa at Ramme, 40 minutes from Oslo, from 1910 until his death in 1944. The property has been restored, and visitors can now book a guided tour and visit an underground art gallery displaying his work and that of other Norwegian artists from the 19th and 20th centuries.and follow an outdoor culture trail along the fjord.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about seeking a lesscrowded European art getaway based on the fivecity concept
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What exactly is a European art getaway
Its a trip focused on visiting museums galleries street art and historic architecture rather than just sightseeing or nightlife Think of it as a vacation for art lovers
2 Why would I want fewer crowds
Less waiting in lines cheaper accommodation a more relaxed pace and a chance to actually see the art without being pushed around by hundreds of other tourists
3 What are the five cities youre talking about
Common examples include Leipzig Antwerp Bologna Ljubljana and Bilbao They have strong art scenes but arent as packed as Paris or Rome
4 Is this only for modern art
Not at all These cities offer a mix For example Bologna has medieval and Renaissance art while Leipzig has a famous contemporary art scene You can find both old masters and new artists
5 Is it more expensive or cheaper than a typical European trip
Generally cheaper Flights and hotels in these smaller cities are often more affordable than in major capitals Plus youll save money on expensive skiptheline tickets
AdvancedLevel Questions
6 How do these cities compare to the Big Three for art
They offer more niche authentic experiences You trade the Mona Lisa for a deep dive into a local movement or a specific era You get depth over breadth
7 Which city is best for contemporary art vs classical art
For contemporary Leipzig and Bilbao
For classicalold masters Bologna and Antwerp
8 Whats the biggest hidden challenge of visiting these cities
