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Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum Day Admission Ticket
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The Habsburgs’ passion for art collecting has bequeathed us a magnificent museum in Vienna, the Kunsthistorisches Museum (called Kunsthistorisches Museum in German).
Founded by Emperor Franz Joseph (yes, Sissi’s husband) in 1891 for the purpose of preserving the imperial collections, it holds a priceless artistic heritage comprising not only paintings but a vast array of objects created over five millennia.
The jewel in the museum’s crown, however, is the Picture Gallery, which holds artistic treasures including works by painters of the calibre of Rubens, Rembrandt, Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto, Caravaggio, Canaletto, Dürer, Cranach, Holbein, van Dyck and Velázquez. The Picture Gallery also houses the most important collection of paintings by Bruegel the Elder in the world, put together by Rudolf II.
No less interesting is the treasure chest that holds these treasures, a magnificent palace with sumptuous architecture located along the Ringstraße, a stone’s throw from the Hofburg, the Imperial Palace.
Admire the elegant façade, the original marble, the stucco ceiling, the extraordinary painting cycle on the stairwell (in which a very young Klimt also participated). Needless to emphasise the magnificence of the architecture and decoration of the palace: the Habsburgs, as we know, spared no expense.
Known as the Museum of Art History, the Kunsthistorisches Museum brings together five extraordinary collections in its main building on the Ringstrasse, which we present below.
Other collections are exhibited in the museum’s separate branches, such as the Imperial Treasury in the Hofburg, the Vienna Imperial Carriage Museum at Schönbrunn Palace and the Ephesus Museum in Neue Burg. A different ticket must be purchased for each of these museums.
The Pinakothek, located on the main floor, is the best known and most visited section of the Kumsthistorisches Museum: you could spend a whole day just visiting its fifteen rooms devoted to great pictorial masterpieces from the 15th century to the 19th century.
When you visit the Kumsthistorisches Museum’s picture gallery, you can admire some of the most significant works of German, Dutch, Flemish, Italian, Spanish and French painting, including Raphael’s “Madonna of the Meadow”, Bruegel’s “Peasant Wedding” and Vermeer’s “Art of Painting”.
The Numismatic Cabinet of the Kunsthistorisches Museum ranks among the five most important coin collections in the world.
The museum’s collection comprises half a million items: the 2500 coins and medals on display to the public, which also include some absolute rarities, make it possible to trace the history of money from antiquity to the present day.
Reopened to the public after extensive renovation in 2013, the Kunstkammer of the Kunsthistorisches Museum exhibits an impressive collection of more than two thousand precious objects, including precious vases, sculptures, bronze statuettes, clocks and jewellery, assembled over the centuries by Habsburg emperors and archdukes.
The highlight of the collection is Benvenuto Cellini’s gold Saliera, a masterpiece of goldsmith’s art made by the artist for the King of France, Francis I.
We go back in time in the ancient art section, where works of art from the Greek and Roman periods are displayed, including sculptures, urns, and vases, as well as some examples of Etruscan art.
The highlight of this collection is the Gemma Augustea, a finely inlaid onyx cameo dating back to the 10th century BC.
Even further back in time: the sarcophagi, papyri, statues, funerary furnishings and mummified animals of the Eastern Egyptian collection will magically transport you to Ancient Egypt.
The highlight of this collection is the funerary chapel of Ka-ni-nisut, whose original location was not far from the pyramids of Giza.
You can choose to visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum on your own, perhaps with the aid of an audio guide, or take part in guided group or individual tours. Themed tours and guided tours for children are also offered.
As far as admission is concerned, you can choose between admission to the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the combined ticket for the Habsburg Treas ury, which, for just a few euros more, also allows you to visit the Neue Burg and the Imperial Treasury.
In the entrance hall on the ground floor and in the dome room on the first floor you will find the museum shops, where you can buy books, souvenirs, postcards, household items, jewellery, art reproductions and textiles.
Other services available in the museum are cloakrooms, changing rooms, audio guides, a café and a restaurant.
The Kumsthistorisches Museum is located along the Ringstrasse, a long boulevard that follows the line of the old city walls, surrounding the InnereStandt, Vienna’s historic centre.
You can get there by tram or underground (line U2, Museumsquartier stop).
City Card allow you to save on public transport and / or on the entrances to the main tourist attractions.
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