The Art History Museum

Vienna’s two most important museums sit facing each other on either sides of Maria-Theresien-Platz, with identical sandstone façades, crowned with an octagonal dome each. Kunsthistoriches Museum or the Art History Museum (also often referred to as Museum of Fine Arts) is housed in one of these palatial buildings and was opened in 1891 by Emperor Franz Joseph I. Step inside and you will see that the museum is as lavishly decorated as the imperial palace, with marble and gold, and is a fitting space to display the impressive art collection built up by the Habsburgs. You will find artworks by the old masters – Caravaggio, Tintoretto, Raphael, Vermeer and a self-portrait by Rembrandt, plus a vast selection of works by the Dutch Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The museum also houses stunning collections from Ancient Egyptian, Roman and Greek Antiquities as well as medieval art. The museum’s roof is home to more than 2 lac bees, which yield thick, highly aromatic amber-coloured honey, which you can purchase at the gift shop on your way out. The museum is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm, and on Thursdays till 9 pm Closed on Mondays from September to May. If you visit on a Sunday, try the delectable Sunday Brunch at the museum’s café & restaurant.