Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts

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The region's most important centre for the arts is housed in the first major public building by renowned architect Norman Foster. Its eclectic collections include works by Picasso, Moore, Degas and Bacon, which are displayed beside curios from Africa, the Pacific and the Americas.

The gallery is in the University of East Anglia's grounds, 2 miles west of the city centre. To get there take bus 22, 25 or 26 (£2.20, 15 minutes).

Guided tours (11am and 2pm) of the collections run from Tuesday to Sunday.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Aerial view of Norwich Cathedral located in Norwich, Norfolk, UK

    Norwich Cathedral

    2.9 MILES

    Norwich's most impressive landmark is a magnificent Anglican cathedral. Its barbed spire soars higher than any in England except Salisbury's, while the…

  • "Norwich, England - May 17, 2012: A man walking past Norwich Castle keep and castle mound on a spring day. The stone keep was constructed by order of the King between 1100 and 1120 to replace a wooden structure which stood on the same mound dating back to the Norman conquest of 1066. The castle was used as a prison until 1887 and has been used as a museum since 1894."

    Norwich Castle

    2.66 MILES

    Crowning a hilltop overlooking central Norwich, this massive 12th-century castle is one of England’s best-preserved examples of Anglo-Norman military…

  • The interior of a reconstructed Chemist's shop in Bridewell Museum, Norwich, 1989. (Photo By RDImages/Epics/Getty Images) Museum of Norwich

    Museum of Norwich

    2.65 MILES

    Stay on your best behaviour: 14th-century Bridewell is a former house of correction, a 'prison for women, beggars and tramps'. Displays here explore…

  • Holkham National Nature Reserve

    Holkham National Nature Reserve

    29.91 MILES

    Beach, dunes, salt marsh, grazing marsh, pinewoods and scrub – a high number of habitats pack into 37-sq-km Holkham Reserve. It's easily accessed from the…

  • Frontal view of the manor house of Blickling Hall in the village of Blickling north of Aylsham in Norfolk County, England, UK

    Blickling Hall

    13.21 MILES

    Largely remodelled in the 17th century for Sir Henry Hobart, James I's chief justice, Blickling Hall began life in the 11th century as a manor house and…

  • Houghton Hall

    Houghton Hall

    28.09 MILES

    Built for Britain's first de-facto prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, in 1730, Palladian-style Houghton Hall is worth seeing for the ornate staterooms…

  • Cley Marshes

    Cley Marshes

    24.25 MILES

    One of England's premier birdwatching sites, Cley Marshes has more than 300 resident bird species, plentiful migrants and a network of walking trails and…

  • Museum of the Broads

    Museum of the Broads

    15.62 MILES

    Learn about the traditional Broads' boats (called wherries), the marshmen who gathered reeds and sedge for thatching, and local history and lifestyles at…

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Nearby attractions

1. Museum of Norwich

2.65 MILES

Stay on your best behaviour: 14th-century Bridewell is a former house of correction, a 'prison for women, beggars and tramps'. Displays here explore…

2. Norwich Castle

2.66 MILES

Crowning a hilltop overlooking central Norwich, this massive 12th-century castle is one of England’s best-preserved examples of Anglo-Norman military…

3. Tombland & Elm Hill

2.8 MILES

Leafy Tombland, near Norwich Cathedral, is where the city's market was originally located ('tomb' is an old Norse word for empty, hence there being space…

4. Dragon Hall

2.84 MILES

Dating from 1430, Dragon Hall is a medieval trading hall – the only building of its kind to have belonged to one man, Robert Toppes, rather than a guild,…

5. Norwich Cathedral

2.9 MILES

Norwich's most impressive landmark is a magnificent Anglican cathedral. Its barbed spire soars higher than any in England except Salisbury's, while the…

6. St Helen's

11.25 MILES

Known locally as the 'Cathedral of the Broads', this 14th-century church dominates the pretty village of Ranworth. Inside there's a magnificent painted…

7. Bure Valley Steam Railway

11.83 MILES

This narrow-gauge steam train runs between Aylsham and Wroxham and is an ideal way to see some hidden parts of the Broads. Trains operate different…

8. Blickling Hall

13.21 MILES

Largely remodelled in the 17th century for Sir Henry Hobart, James I's chief justice, Blickling Hall began life in the 11th century as a manor house and…