Winterthur, Switzerland

   The city of Winterthur is a treasure trove rich in art, history and nature.  Switzerland's sixth largest city boasts world class art collections. Other museums and monuments, a lively old town, an active music and comedy scene, and extensive parks and public gardens make Winterthur, a city small enough to easily get around and the air of a big city.

   The Oskar Reinhart Art Collection is one of the most impressive museums in Winterthur.  It is among the most important private collections of the 20th century and includes about 200 works of European art from the 14th to the early 20th century.  The focus is on 19th century French painting, in particular on paintings by French impressionists and their precursors.

   In addition, The Reinhart Museum shows over 500 pictures, predominantly by German, Swiss and Austrian artists from the 18th to the 20th century.  Other highlights include the Villa Flora, where a rich collection of modern French painting is exhibited, and the Briner and Kern Museum which is mainly devoted to the Dutch masters of the 17th century.

   Winterthur owes its cultural wealth to rich patrons from the days when Winterthur was an important industrial centre.  With the onset of the industrial revolution in the 19th century Winterthur rose quickly to become an important economic center thanks to motor, locomotive and textile factories.

   The cultural city of Winterthur in addition to several theaters and the biggest event venue of Switzerland is also home to the Swiss cabaret and comedy centre. The friendly old town of Winterthur with its many street cafes is perfect for an afternoon of strolling and shopping.

   In spite of its industrial tradition Winterthur is also a garden city with a conspicuously large number of parks and gardens.  There is even a city tour dedicated to "Villas and Gardens".  In the charming area surrounding Winterthur, in the forests, wine-growing areas, by the T�ss and Rhine there are castles with which the people of Winterthur today as in the past have a particularly close relationship.  Winterthur is also a perfect starting point for excursions to Lake Constance and the Rhine or to the nearby city of Zurich.