Are you planning to visit the Austrian capital? Offer a ticket for one of the most outstanding museums in the world, the Vienna Art History Museum!
The Vienna Art History Museum — or Kunsthistorisches Museum in German—is one of the first museums of ancient art in the world, which gives it the status of a great and remarkable museum in Austria, but also internationally. It is a must for all lovers of classical painting and rare and ancient objects!
In addition to discovering a building with exceptional architecture, you will have the opportunity to access very rich and impressive collections: the gallery of paintings, in which there are masterpieces of the greatest European painters from the 15th to the 18th century, the Cabinet of Art and Curiosities, the treasures of the collections dedicated to ancient Egypt and Antiquity or the Cabinet of Numismatics.
From ancient Egypt to the end of the 18th century, five thousand years of art history are grouped in this museum recognized throughout the world. So don’t miss visiting the Vienna Art History Museum!
Where, when, how and at what price? We explain everything in this article.
Historical rapid of the Vienna Art History Museum
Photo credit: Flickr – Alexander Russy
The Museum of Art History of Vienna was built according to the plans of the architects Gottfried Semper and Karl von Hasenauer , to house the vast imperial collections of the Habsburg House. Commanded by the Emperor of Austria of the time, François-Joseph I (1848-1916), married to Elisabeth de Wittelsbach, known as the Empress Sissi, the museum was inaugurated. 17 October 1891 .
The Habsburg family was one of the most prestigious in Europe, and for cause all the Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire from 1452 to 1740 came from it. The emperors of the Austrian royal family were enthusiasts of art and patrons, and have formed over the centuries these collections that are gathered — still today — in this building with a style largely inspired by the Italian Renaissance.
What to do and see at the Vienna Art History Museum
The painting gallery
Located on the first floor of the museum, the gallery of paintings gives you access to works dating from the 15th century to 1800, among which one finds The Noces meal (1568) of the Flemish painter of the Renaissance, Bruegel , L’Art de la Peinture (vers 1666) of the Dutch baroque painter Vermeer , The Madonna on the Prairie (1506) by Raphaël, the famous Italian painter of the Renaissance, or portraits of the infants of Vélasquez and other masterpieces by Rubens, Rembrandt, Dürer, Titien and Tintoret.
The left side of the floor is dedicated to Spanish, Italian and French schools, while the right side is devoted to German, Flemish and Dutch schools.
The Cabinet of Art and Curiosities
This same building also houses the Cabinet of Art and Curiosities, or Kunstkammer . We'll find more. 2200 pieces including the Habsburg treasures—the precious objects of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Baroque—the cabinet of art of Emperor Rodolphe II, or the complex Exotica . You will also be able to see the famous Mannerist style silversmithery in solid gold, the Saliera , Benvenuto Cellini .
This is one of the largest collections of the genre in the world!
Other collections
The Cabinet d’Art et de Curios shares a floor with two other large collections: that of the Greek and Roman antiques and Egyptian and Eastern Collection . The space dedicated to Ancient Egypt is decorated with immense columns, displays and wall ornaments and are exposed, among other things, the tombs of Thoutmôsis III and Prince Ka-ni-nisut. On the side of Greek and Roman antiques, do not miss the Nagyszentmiklos treasure , or the collection of antique vases including the cup of Brygos.
Numismatic Cabinet
Composed of more than half a million objects , the second-floor numismatic cabinet retraces the evolution of the currency and the medal, from their creation to today. It is considered one of the largest numismatic collections in the world and houses unique and rare pieces. A place that is undoubtedly worth a look!
Temporary exhibitions
Temporary exhibitions are regularly organized within the Museum of Art History of Vienna, such as contemporary art.
Coffee-restaurant and shops
Located in the dome room on the 1st floor, the coffee-restaurant allows you to offer a little break, time to eat or drink something. All in a pleasant atmosphere.
It will be possible for you to leave with a small souvenir of your visit, like a jewel, precious textiles, reproductions or maps by visiting the boutiques on the 1st floor, in the dome room, or the entrance hall of the museum.
How to go to the Vienna Art History Museum?
The magnificent Museum of Art History in Vienna, Austria, is located on Place Marie-Thérèse, right next to the cultural complex MuseumsQuartier . To get there, there are several choices:
Metro
- Line U2: stop « Volkstheater »
- Line U3: stop « Volkstheater »
The tram
- Line D: stop « Burgring / Kunsthistorisches Museum »
- Line 1: stop « Burgring / Kunsthistorisches Museum »
- Line 2 : stop « Burgring / Kunsthistorisches Museum »
- Line 71: stop « Burgring / Kunsthistorisches Museum »
The bus
- Line 2A
- Line 57A
- Red line Hop On Hop Off: stop « Kunsthistorisches Museum / Heldenplatz »
Car
If you plan to travel by car to the Austrian capital, you have chosen it car rental or you have your own vehicle, know that it will be possible to park in the paid parking lot Contipark Tiefgarage in MuseumsQuartier Not far from the museum.
Prices of the Museum of Art History in Vienna
HORARI
- All year round: Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 6pm and until 9pm on Thursday
- June to August: the museum is also open on Monday
RATES
What is the ticket price to access the Vienna Art History Museum? The rates are as follows:
- Adult rate: 16€
- Student rate (up to 25 years): 12€
- Rate over 65 years: 12€
- Persons with disabilities: 12€
- Free children and young people under the age of 19
Don’t hesitate to book your tickets online before your visit in order to save time on site by avoiding a possible queue!
Good to know.
Before you visit the Museum of Art History in Vienna and discover its impressive collections, here are some last information that might be useful to you:
- Collections of the Vienna Art History Museum are also found in the Neue Burg, in the Hofburg, in Schönbrunn castles and Ambras, in the Museum of Theatre, as well as in the Museum of Ethnology.
- It is possible to ask to make a personalized guided tour on a theme or for children, for example, by reservation.
- The museum is accessible to persons with reduced mobility, and wheelchairs are available on site, upon reservation.
- To not miss any information about collections, audioguides are available in French, German, English and Italian. Audioguides commenting on a selection of works are also available in French, German, English, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Russian and Japanese.
- It is forbidden to eat or drink in the museum.
- Unless otherwise specified, the photographs without flash are allowed in the museum.
- Animals are not allowed inside the museum.
- One. Free is available in the basement for your personal effects.
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