Naturhistorisches Museum

Lonely Planet review

The Naturhistorisches Museum (Museum of Natural History) is the scientific counterpart of the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History) opposite. As you would expect in a natural history museum, there are exhibits on minerals, meteorites and assorted animal remains in jars. Among other things, there are a staggering 2102 diamonds and 761 other gems, specimens of extinct and rare species and a children's corner.

In the gems collection, the Colombian emerald, believed to be a present from the Aztec ruler Montezuma to the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, is overshadowed by the bouquet of precious stones presented to Franz Stephan by Maria Theresia. Zoology and anthropology are covered in detail, including specimens of the extinct Moa and Dodo and the rare Komodo dragon. There's also a children's corner, some good dinosaur exhibits and a room with 3-D projections of microorganisms. The 25,000-year-old statuette 'Venus of Willendorf' is here (see Dürnstein ) - though she's a mere youngster compared to the 32,000 BC statuette 'Fanny' from Stratzing (the oldest figurative sculpture in the world). Only photos of the statuette are on display; the real McCoy is in storage. Though seemingly inappropriately named, the nickname Fanny actually comes from her unusual pose, supposedly reminiscent of the Austrian ballerina Fanny Elssler.