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Akademie Der Bildenden Künste
The Akademie der bildenden Künste (Academy of Fine Arts) is often passed over in favour of the bigger galleries yet is rewarding all the same. Its gallery concentrates on the classic Flemish, Dutch and German painters and includes Hieronymus Bosch, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Rubens, Titian, Guardi, and Cranach the Elder. It still operates as an art school, famous for rejecting Adolf Hitler twice and accepting Egon Schiele, who left soon after.
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Albertina
Founded in 1768 by Maria Theresia's son-in-law, Duke Albert von Sachsen-Teschen, the Albertina houses the greatest graphic art collection in the world. It includes an astonishing 1.5 million prints and 50,000 drawings, including 145 Dürer drawings (the largest collection in the world), 43 by Raphael, 70 by Rembrandt and 150 by Schiele. There are loads more by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rubens, Bruegel, Cézanne, Picasso and other masters.
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Architekturzentrum Wien
The Architekturzentrum Wien (Vienna Architecture Centre) takes up much of the MQ north of MUMOK, encompassing three halls used for temporary exhibitions, a library and the café Una. Exhibitions focus on international architectural developments and change on a regular basis. The centre also organises walking tours through Vienna on Sunday, covering various architectural themes, but they are in German only.
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Archiv Des Österreichischen Widerstands
The Austrian Resistance Archive documents the little-known anti-fascist resistance force that operated during the Nazi regime; some 2700 fighters were executed and thousands more sent to concentration camps. The in-depth analysis of the Nazi doctrines on homosexuality, 'unworthy' citizens, concentration camps and forced labour is quite disturbing, as are many of the photos and memorabilia detailing the time before and after the Anschluss.
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Atelier Augarten/Gustinus Ambrosi-Museum
Sculptures by Austrian-born Gustinus Ambrosi (1893-1975) are the highlight of the works displayed at Atelier Augarten, in the western corner of Augarten park. Alongside his works of art are other European sculptures from the 20th and 21st centuries. The Atelier also regularly features temporary exhibits from international artists - check the program on the website. Entry is included in the Schloss Belvedere ticket.
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Bawag Foundation
Well-located in the very heart of the Innere Stadt, this gallery is financed by the Bawag Bank. It features contemporary artists from both the international and local scene and has a regular influx of temporary exhibitions on display. Works range from sculpture pieces to photo exhibitions and film.
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Bestattungsmuseum
The Bestattungsmuseum is devoted to the art of undertaking. By no means in the same gruesome league as the Pathologisch-anatomische Bundesmuseum or the Josephinum, it still never fails to intrigue. Displays include photos, documents and paraphernalia retelling the history of undertaking in this often macabre city. Donations are welcome.
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Dom- & Diözesanmuseum
The Cathedral and Diocesan Museum of Vienna is a treasure-trove of religious art pieces spanning a period of over 1000 years. While the collection is blessed with extraordinary articles - such as the earliest European portrait, that of Duke Rudolph IV (1360), and two Syrian glass vessels (1280-1310) thought to be among the oldest glass bottles in the world - after a while it all seems to blend into one.
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Ernst Fuchs Privat Museum
About 2km north of the U4 Hütteldorf stop is this small museum devoted to Ernst Fuchs' fantastical paintings, etchings and sculptures. The works have a, shall we say, drug-induced look visitors may find the villa housing the collection more interesting. Built by Otto Wagner in 1888, it was saved from ruin by Fuchs and restored to its former glory in 1972. The gardens have interesting statues, ceramics and the ornate Brunnenhaus created by Fuchs.
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Generali Foundation
The Generali Foundation gallery picks and chooses exhibition pieces from its vast collection - numbering around 1400 - with the utmost care. The majority of its ensemble covers conceptual and performance art from the latter half of the 20th century, with names like Dan Graham and Gordon Matta-Clark popping up on a regular basis. Guided tours, which take place at on Thursdays, cost around €2 .
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Geymüllerschlössel
The Geymüllerschlössel is arguably the finest example of Biedermeier architecture in Austria. Built around 1808 by an unknown architect, it is a mixture of Gothic, Indian and Arabic styles from that time. The interior, embellished with floral designs and graceful lines, is perfectly preserved. It houses MAK's collection of around 160 Viennese clocks made from 1760 to the second half of the 19th century, and furniture from the period 1800 to 1840.
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Globenmuseum
Part of the Nationalbibliothek (National Library) collection of museums is this small museum dedicated to cartography. Among the plethora of 19th-century globes and maps in the collection are a couple of gems a few centuries older. Look for the globe made for Emperor Karl V by Mercator in 1541 and a map of the world produced in 1551, also for him.
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Haus Der Musik
The Haus der Musik (House of Music) rates among the best museums in the city. Spread over four floors (the fifth is a café and restaurant), it helps explain sound in an amusing and interactive way (in English and German) accessible to both children and adults.
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Heeresgeschichtliches Museum
In the wake of the 1848 rebellion, Franz Josef I ordered the Arsenal built; the large barracks and munitions depot was completed in neo-Byzantine style in 1856. Its handsome façade belied its true purpose: It was a fortress built to quash any further uprisings. At the same time, Franz Josef established the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum (Museum of Military History) within the Arsenal, making it the oldest public museum in Vienna.
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Hofmobiliendepot
Covering four floors, the Hofmobiliendepot's furniture collection is incredibly extensive, and ranges from complete rooms to an assortment of various furniture pieces such as mirrors, candleholders, dressers, desks, chairs, tables and the like. Standout one-offs include the cradle of Crown Prince Rudolf and an ensemble of imperial thrones. The Egyptian Cabinet Room and Crown Prince Rudoph's Turkish Room/Opium Den are the height of decadence.
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Josephinum
Also known as the Museum of Medical History, the Josephinum has a bizarre but fascinating collection of 200-year-old ceroplastic and wax models of the human frame, detailing the body under the skin in gory detail. Other exhibits include arcane instruments and detailed accounts of highly unpleasant looking medical operations.
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Jüdisches Museum
Vienna's Jüdisches Museum (Jewish Museum) was founded in 1895, making it the first of its kind in the world. Unfortunately during WWII the museum's original collection was pillaged and only half has since been recovered, but what can be seen today is a poignant reminder of the Jewish influence on the city.
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Kindermuseum
Schönbrunn's Kindermuseum (Children's Museum) sticks to what it knows best: imperialism. Activities and displays help kids discover the day-to-day life of the Habsburg court and, once they've got an idea, they can don princely or princessly outfits and start ordering the serfs (parents) around. Other rooms devoted to toys, natural science and archaeology all help to keep them entertained. Guided tours available in English by appointment
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Kunstforum
Often forgotten among the palaces and churches lining Freyung, the Kunstforum is a stalwart of the Vienna art scene and hosts a number of temporary exhibitions throughout the year. The overall exhibit theme is not confined to one genre, but leaps and bounds between them with ease.
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Kunsthalle
Between the Leopold and MUMOK is the Kunsthalle (Art Hall), a collection of exhibition halls showcasing local and international contemporary art. Its high ceilings, open space and pure functionality have seen the venue rated among the top institutions for exhibitions in Europe. Programs, which run for three to six months, tend to focus on photography, video, film, installations and new media. Guided tours in German are available.
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Kunsthalle Project Space
Formerly the only home of contemporary art in Vienna, the Kunsthalle Project Space now plays second fiddle to the museums in the MuseumsQuartier. It hosts temporary exhibitions of up-and-coming artists, which are often quite challenging. After the exhibition enjoy some chill-out time at the Kunsthallencafé next door.
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KunstHausWien
The KunstHausWien (Art House Vienna), with its bulging ceramics, lack of straight lines and colourful tilework, is another of Hundertwasser's inventive creations. It's is something of a paean in honour of Hundertwasser, displaying his paintings, graphics, tapestry, philosophy, ecology and architecture. There are even a couple of films about him. The gallery also puts on quality temporary exhibitions featuring other artists.
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Leopold Museum
The museum is named after Rudolf Leopold, a Viennese ophthalmologist who, on buying his first Egon Schiele (1890-1918) for a song as a young student in 1950, began to amass a huge private collection of mainly 19th-century and modernist Austrian artworks. In 1994 he sold the lot - 5266 paintings - to the Austrian government for around €160 million (sold individually, the paintings would have made him around €570 million), and the museum was born.
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Liechtenstein Museum
Until 1938, the Royal family of Liechtenstein resided in Vienna, but after the Anschluss they made a hasty retreat to their small country squeezed between Austria and Switzerland. They didn't, however, manage to take everything with them, and it was only near the end of WWII that they transferred their collection of baroque masterpieces to Vaduz.
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Lipizzaner Museum
An arm of the Spanish Riding School, the Lipizzaner Museum details the history and heritage of the famous white stallions. It also has bits and bobs on the tricks they perform at the nearby school and the stud farm where they're raised. There's English text, but the content is a little thin. Windows allow a view directly into the stables, albeit obscured by glass and fine mesh; otherwise you'll have to do with the views on two large monitors.
