Art is a serious business in Vienna. Here is a rundown on the top museums to visit in Vienna for every type of art lover out there, be it traditionalists or those more into contemporary pieces. Tip: If you’re an art aficionado and planning on visiting multiple museums and attractions, why not get the Vienna Pass? Entrance to attractions in Vienna can be rather pricey, but the Vienna Pass gets you free entry into over 70 attractions and skip-the-line access.
Belvedere
A must-see for any art lover, the Belvedere is a museum is housed in the iconic and magnificent Belvedere Palace. Originally built as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy, the entire estate consists of two Baroque palaces (the Upper and Lower Belvedere), the Orangery, and the Palace Stables. The museum features the world's largest collection of Gustav Klimt paintings, and it is here in the Upper Belvedere that Klimt’s pièce de résistance, The Kiss, is displayed. Other prominent works from the periods of Viennese Biedermeier, Austrian Baroque, Vienna around 1900, and French Impressionism are showcased as well. A small collection of Egon Schiele paintings, including his infamous The Embrace, is displayed in the Lower Belvedere. A separate audio guide may be rented for a small fee, and is highly recommended for a thought-provoking foray into each artist’s psyche.
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 9am to 6pm, Fridays 9am to 9pm
Address: Prinz Eugen-Straße 27, 1030 Wien, Austria
Admission fee: €22,00
Leopold Museum
Located in Vienna’s newly-built MuseumQuartier, with around 6,000 works, the Leopold Museum features some of the most prominent of Austrian names such as Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka and Richard Gerstl, with a focus on the second half of the nineteenth century and Modernism. It contains the world's largest Egon Schiele Collection. Key works to look for are Schiele’s Self-Portrait with Chinese Lantern Plant and Klimt’s Death and Life, both of which are considered some of the very best works from each respective artist.
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm (Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
Address: Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Wien, Austria
Admission fee: €14,00
Kunsthistorisches Museum
The Art History Museum is housed in a grand building, of which its most distinguishing feature is its large octagonal dome, the photo gallery primarily featuring works from the collection of the Habsburgs, one of the Austrian royal imperial families. Its pride and glory may lie in its outstanding collection of artwork done by the Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder, which finds no comparison elsewhere. The museum owns twelve of his paintings, of which his 1563 painting, Tower of Babel, may be the most noticeable, where the sheer massiveness of the tower is emphasised through Bruegel’s careful interplay of scale and perspective.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 6 pm, Thursdays 10 am to 9 pm (Closed on Mondays)
Address: Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Wien, Austria
Admission fee: €16,00
Albertina Museum
With over 60,000 drawings and a million old master prints, the Albertina has one of the largest graphical collections in the world (as well as being home to many more modern graphic works, photographs and architectural drawings!). If you’re lucky, you may spot Albrecht Dürer’s Young Hare on display, which only makes its appearances every few years due to its delicacy. Admire the intricacy of this masterpiece, which is done up with such realism that the animal looks as if it is about to come alive.
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 10am to 7pm
Address: Albertinaplatz 1, 1010 Wien, Austria
Admission fee: €16,90
Museum of Applied Arts
For those with a preference for modernity, there’s something for you too. Often abbreviated as the MAK, the Museum of Applied Arts is an arts and crafts museum that focuses, well, on arts and crafts and design. The building itself is a wonderful piece of architecture. With fascinating displays of fashion, furniture & building designs dating all the way back to the 19th century, it is a wonderful exhibition of applied art, both new and old. The addition of interactive elements also makes the exhibits more entertaining. Anyone who appreciates the intricacies of design will love this place.
Opening hours: Tuesdays 10am to 9pm, Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm (Closed on Mondays)
Address: Stubenring 5, 1010 Wien, Austria
Admission fee: €14,00
mumok (Museum of Modern Art)
Another museum located in the MuseumsQuartier, it places an emphasis on modern and contemporary art of the 20th and 21st centuries. Catered to art enthusiasts of all backgrounds, here you can find Pop Art by the likes of Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg, and the movements of Fluxus and Nouveau Réalismeit represented by works from Daniel Spoerri, Nam June Paik, Yoko Ono. With their refreshing curating style, mumok strives to offer visitors a new perspective into modern art.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 7 pm, Mondays 2 pm to 7 pm, Thursdays 10 am to 9 pm
Address: Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Wien, Austria
Admission fee: €13,00
