Kunsthistorisches Museum

One of the unforgettable experiences of being in Vienna will be a visit to the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History), brimming with works by Europe’s finest painters, sculptors and artisans. The museum has sculptures from classical times (and some copies) in its Egyptian-Oriental collection, atiques, a coin collection, and decorative curiosities from the Renaissance and baroque epochs (this section was closed for long-term restoration at the time of publication). These alone would be reason to set aside half a day or more for the museum, but the Picture Gallery takes it one echelon higher to offer a breathtaking window into mainly Flemish, Dutch, Italian and German works from the 16th and 17th centuries – the time when the Habsburgs went on a collecting frenzy.