I had been there already many times and I go always there to show this Museum to my foreign guests because it is unique. Take your time and follow a guided tour to see the compound with buildings created by the most important architects.
We took the number 50 bus from the train station in Basel and crossed the border into Germany without noticing. We had originally planned to spend an hour but ended up spending 3 - and only had to leave then as the bus back runs every hour which would have meant hanging around a bus stop in the cold for over half an hour after the complex closed.We visited the museum and the clock tower but, hard as we tried, couldn't find the way into the fire station. We spent most of our time looking round at the wonderful Vitra house. Time really just flew by. Highly recommend
The museum is small, but the Vitrahaus is large and very interesting. I wish I had the time for the guided tour-next time. Easy to get to from Basel via public transport, but be sure to note the times as the bus runs once an hour on Sunday. Many hotels will give you free tickets to the museum and a free pass for all public transportation.
I waited for a long time to visit this museum and the vitra campus. It was very impressive. The Alvar Aalto exhibition was very good and the architecture tour was amazing. Our guide, Frau Manling was awesome. The visit around the campus was so good. Loved it.
Located very close to Basel but in Germany this design museum is worth a visit. The guided tour takes you through the many interesting buildings on campus and the production line with wonderful explanations, Our red headed guide Samira was knowledgeable and very pleasant. Then we toured the museum and the display building on our own. I would have loved to take home many items but could not afford the prices.
When I told a relative I was going to Basel she wrote back that I must visit the Vitra museum. That's what I did, and indeed it was a special place. An easy bus ride outside of town. Some might consider it jsut a sophisticated marketing ploy - and there is some of that - but after all Vitra manufactures and markets some of the furniture design icons of our culture. There are buildings by leading architects in a lovely setting and if you want to buy an Eames lounge chair you can pick among the options and watch them make it before your eyes. I happen be an Eames fan so the whole visit was a treat. I was there on a cloudy December day, but it must be great during a summer day. My relative was definitely right!
even if you are remotely interested in Design, one should visit the Vitra campus. the museum is good enough, but the stars of the show are the Vitrahaus and the collection of buildings by well know architects.vitrahaus displays all their furniture, in exceptionally well thought out settings. it is in reality a showroom, but comes across as an ideas laboratory. all so very beautiful, exciting and inviting.the architecture is a collection of some of the best of Frank Gerhy, Herzog and de Meuron, Buckmister Fuller, Tadao Ando and even a jasper Morrison bus shelter amongst others.the real stars are the Tadao Ando conference centre and the Herzog Vitrahaus.the café serves high quality and tasty meals.good fun !!
We took the architecture tour of the grounds and I thought our guide was excellent. She answered all of our questions about the various buildings and gave a lot of detail about the design choices, layout of the campus and the construction processes. It was a very informative tour. We also viewed the exhibit of Alvar Aalto, and as I'm a fan of his design, I am very happy to have been able to see this exhibit.
the guided tour is available at certain time, which make you have the chance to go inside of these amazing buildings. though the guide is a serious lady, she is more like a artist and knowledgable for many fields. the restaurant is a nice stay for the food or a casual coffee. the decoration is cool as well. overall a nice place can stay for the whole day.
I wanted to go really bad and when I finally got there the place did not exide my expectations. I thought I had found design items from all over the world in just one beautiful place instead I found beautiful architectural places with common exhibitions. If you are a design freak you have to go there once in your life but do not expect to find a life changer. I am glad I went overall.