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Feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or just in need of a mental boost? In the Swiss city of Neuchâtel, doctors now have an unconventional remedy: a prescription for a free museum visit.
Thanks to a groundbreaking pilot program introduced by local authorities, healthcare professionals can prescribe “museum visits” as part of treatment plans. The initiative allows patients to visit any of the town’s four museums at no cost, offering a refreshing alternative to traditional medical treatments.
The science behind art as therapy
The program isn’t just about enjoying beautiful paintings or historical artifacts, it’s rooted in science. A 2019 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that engaging with the arts can reduce stress, help manage trauma, and even slow cognitive decline.
Julie Courcier Delafontaine, a member of the Neuchâtel council, stressed the importance of cultural spaces in promoting mental well-being.
Art can help relax the mind, almost like preventative medicine. People realised during the Covid crisis, when cultural sites were closed, just how much we need these spaces to feel better
Julie Courcier Delafontaine, a Neuchâtel council member.
A modest budget, a big impact
Since its launch, the initiative has already issued nearly 500 prescriptions, funded by a modest budget of 10,000 Swiss francs (about €10,460). Despite its small scale, the program has shown promising results.
Local authorities are now considering expanding the initiative to include other cultural experiences, such as theater and dance. Although Switzerland’s national health system does not yet cover cultural therapy, advocates like Corsaire Delafontaine hope that could change in the future.
Who can benefit?
Marianne de Reynier Nevsky, a cultural mediation expert who helped design the program, believes it could help a wide range of patients.
"It could be a person with depression, a person who has trouble walking, a person with a chronic illness, the key is encouraging patients to get out of the house, walk, and engage with their surroundings - even if it’s just for an hour in a museum.
Marianne de Reynier Nevsky, a cultural mediation expert
The goal is simple: encourage patients to leave the house, engage with their surroundings, and find a moment of respite, even if it’s just for an hour at a museum.
Museums as a pre-surgery workout?
Dr Marc-Olivier Sauvain, head of surgery at the Neuchâtel Hospital Network, has already started advising his patients to visit museums. For those preparing for surgery, he sees it as an opportunity to move and stay active before their procedure.
"I think these patients will fully benefit from museum prescriptions," Sauvain said. "It’s a chance to get both physical and intellectual exercise".
A prescription for the world?
The program has already won over fans among doctors and patients. Carla Fragniere Filliger, a retired teacher and poet, fully supports the idea after a recent visit to the Ethnographic Museum.
“I think it’s brilliant,” she said. “There should be prescriptions for all museums in the world!”
Reference:
1. Euro News. 2025. "Pills or Paintings? Swiss Town Lets Doctors Prescribe Free Museum Visits as Art Therapy." Euro News, March 24, 2025. Accessed March 26, 2025. https://www.euronews.com/health/2025/03/24/pills-or-paintings-swiss-town-lets-doctors-prescribe-free-museum-visits-as-art-therapy.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Muhammad Faisal Arshad/MSM)
