sculpture park ZPK

Skulpturenpark Zentrum Paul Klee (ZPK) is the sculpture park on the grounds of the Zentrum Paul Klee, the Paul Klee museum on the eastern edge of Bern. The garden around the building was planned as part of the same landscape as the architecture, and the sculptures stand outdoors among the plantings rather than in gallery rooms.

What will you see in the sculpture park?

A gently winding path runs between rows of silver birches, and six sculptures sit along it in an informal arrangement. They are made of bronze and oxidised weathering steel and are the work of Alicia Penalba, Oscar Wiggli and Yves Dana. The pieces come from the contemporary art collection of Martha Müller-Lüthi, a co-founder of the centre, who makes part of it available to the public outdoors.

Along the edges of the grounds you will also notice boulders and other geological finds uncovered when the site was excavated for the centre. The ZPK counts around 200 of them, and some now decorate the ponds and the southern border of the garden.

What is the setting like?

Renzo Piano designed the building. Its three wave-like hills of steel and glass follow the contours that were already in the terrain, so park and architecture read as one composition. In late summer, when the surrounding grain ripens, the hills almost vanish into the fields. The address, Monument im Fruchtland 3, takes its name from a 1929 Klee painting of the same title.

How do you get there?

• Bus 12 from Bern main station runs to the terminus at Zentrum Paul Klee, about 20 minutes, stopping by the north entrance.
• Tram 7 (towards Ostring) to the end of the line, then roughly a 10-minute walk uphill.
• By car take the A6 motorway, exit Bern-Ostring; parking is CHF 2.50 per hour.

When should you visit?

Pick a day with decent weather, when the birches, ponds and views of the building's hills are at their best. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 17:00; check zpk.org for current hours and the rules for entering the garden. You can pair a walk in the park with the museum's collection of around 4,000 Klee works, the largest anywhere, in a building that opened on 20 June 2005.

Frequently asked questions

Who made the sculptures in the park?

Alicia Penalba, Oscar Wiggli and Yves Dana created the six works in bronze and weathering steel.

Where is the sculpture park?

At the Zentrum Paul Klee, Monument im Fruchtland 3, 3006 Bern, on the city's edge in a green zone beside the motorway.

Do you need a museum ticket for the park?

According to the ZPK, the art in the park is made publicly accessible free of charge by its owner. Confirm current access rules for the grounds on zpk.org.

Where does the address name come from?

From Paul Klee's 1929 painting "Monument im Fruchtland".

Is the park the same as the museum?

No. The sculpture park is the garden on the centre's grounds, while the Klee exhibitions are inside Renzo Piano's building.