Kunsthistorisches Museum

Vienna, Austria

The Kunsthistorisches Museum is an art museum in Vienna. Housed in its festive palatial building on Ringstraße, it is crowned with an octagonal dome. It is the largest art museum in the country.

It was opened around 1891 at the same time as the Naturhistorisches Museum, by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary. The two museums have similar exteriors and face each other across Maria-Theresien-Platz. Both buildings were built between 1871 and 1891 according to plans drawn up by Gottfried Semper and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer.

The two Ringstraße museums were commissioned by the Emperor in order to find a suitable shelter for the Habsburgs' formidable art collection and to make it accessible to the general public. The façade was built of sandstone. The building is rectangular in shape, and topped with a dome that is 60 meters high. The inside of the building is lavishly decorated with marble, stucco ornamentations, gold-leaf, and paintings.

The museum's primary collections are those of the Habsburgs, particularly from the portrait and armour collections of Ferdinand of Tirol, the collections of Emperor Rudolph II and the collection of paintings of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, of which his Italian paintings were first documented in the Theatrum Pictorium.

Notable works in the picture gallery include masterpieces from Jan van Eyck, Albrecht Dürer, Tintoretto, Rembrandt, Pieter Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rupens.

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Address

Burgring 5, Vienna, Austria
See all sites in Vienna

Details

Founded: 1891
Category: Museums in Austria

Rating

4.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Lina Ch (11 months ago)
I recently visited the library museum in Vienna and I must say, it was an incredible experience. From the moment I walked through the doors, I was struck by the beauty and grandeur of the building. The architecture and design were stunning, and the attention to detail was truly remarkable. The museum is home to an impressive array of rare and historical manuscripts, books, and documents. I was amazed to see some of the oldest and most valuable books in the world, including ancient texts and illuminated manuscripts. The museum also offers a variety of exhibits and displays that showcase the history of the library and its impact on the world. Throughout my visit, I found the staff to be friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. Overall, I would highly recommend the library museum in Vienna to anyone with an interest in literature, history, or architecture. It is truly a remarkable and unique experience that should not be missed. I give it a perfect rating of 5/5.
Sofia Boneva (13 months ago)
Great place that you can easily spend your whole day into. It has amazing exhibitions. The staff is very friendly and tries to accommodate you and to answer all of your questions. Some of the rooms were closed for renovations but we still spent 5 hours in the museum. The only problem is that the cafe doesn’t sell food after a certain hour.
Kim Mendoza (14 months ago)
Wow, breathtaking architecture from the moment you walk in. The building was already set in itself. We haven’t even seen the halls yet when we were greeted by these intricate details from ceiling to floor… The indoor cafe was even more beautiful with the marble details and the gold accents! Plus, the high ceiling that stretched into a dome. We didn’t get to try it but it seemed to have a long line but just looking at it was already a sight. Amazing collection of art pieces spanning from different eras. Below are some favorites that are worth your time! Make sure to find these incredible works. There weren’t too much people when we went. Didn’t have to wait in line at all except for the washroom… but the museum was spacious and the flow of people was manageable so it didn’t feel tight.
Danica Delos Reyes (2 years ago)
Inside and out, this place is beautiful and full of history. The best museum I've been to so far. All the floors have exhibits. I thought I've already seen a lot based on the paintings and sculptures I've seen on floor 1, but I was surprised to see that the floor 0 to 05 (archeology section) has many to offer (Egypt, Greek and gold collections). I liked eating at the ornate restaurant too. It offered good meals for the same prices outside.
Brittany Flokstra (2 years ago)
Wow!! This museum takes most of the day. We were there from 10:15am to 2:45pm with a brief cafe break and I'm certain that we did not manage to see everything. So worth it! The paintings, the collections, and the special exhibits are all fantastically curated. We saw the Iron Man exhibit and it was pretty cool.
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