Secret sculptures in the Swiss countryside: Kloster Schönthal

Not far from Basel, in beautiful countryside, lies Kloster Schönthal. This former monastery is now an art foundation that opened in 2000.

Currently, there are 33 works by Swiss and International artists. The sculptures are created specifically for the foundation and the artists visit and immerse themselves in the surrounding countryside before producing the artwork. Temporary exhibitions are also held in the Romanesque monastery church.

The monastery can be traced back to 1145 and, it includes one of the oldest churches in Switzerland. It has had a rich history over the years. It was home to various orders of monks and nuns before being used as a brickworks. By 1833 it was in private hands, bought by a banker from Basel as a summer home for his family. In 1967 the church was listed as a monument before it was renovated and its purposed changed again. Luckily for us, it was established as a place for art and artists.

We spent about 3 hours there wandering through the different paths to find the sculptures. Some are more hidden than others and there is a map available to make sure that you don’t miss any of them!

It is hard to choose a favourite but I do love Recovered Memory by British Artist Nicola Hicks. Nestled amongst the trees, it is as if you have come across Little Red RidingHhood confronting the Big Bad Wolf. I think that the sculpture has more impact because of its outdoor location, it wouldn’t be the same if you saw it inside a gallery.

It was Good Friday and although there were quite a few other visitors we felt like we had the place to ourselves most of the time as there is so much space. Another benefit of it being not so well known.

More information about how to find it and what you can see is available on their website.

I love seeing sculpture in outdoor settings. Below are some of my favourites. What are yours? Share any recommendations in the comments. Next on my list, here in Switzerland, is the Bruno Weber Park near Zurich.