Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Museum of Art History, KHM;
www.khm.at
;
01, Maria-Theresien-Platz; adult/under 19yr incl Neue Burg museums
€14/free; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun, to 9pm Thu; ; Museumsquartier, Volkstheater)
One of the unforget-
table experiences of being in Vienna will be a visit to the Kunsthistorisches Museum,
brimming with works by Europe's finest painters, sculptors and artisans. The main build-
ing of the museum houses the
Picture Gallery
, a breathtaking window into mainly Flemish,
Dutch, Italian, Spanish, French and German works from the 16th and 17th centuries - the
time when the Habsburgs went on a collecting frenzy.
The
Kunstkammer
contains a stunning collection of art and curiosities that once belonged
to the Habsburgs. This is augmented by the equally interesting
Egyptian and Near-Eastern Col-
lection
, the
Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities
, and the
Coin Collection
. Plan on spending a
good three hours admiring all of these.
Naturhistorisches Museum
MUSEUM
(Museum of Natural History;
www.nhm-wien.ac.at
;
01, Maria-Theresien-Platz; adult/under 19yr €10/free;
9am-6.30pm Thu-Mon, to 9pm Wed; Museumsquartier, Volkstheater)
This is the scientific counterpart
to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, with a vast collection that spans minerals, meteorites
and geology, fossils and dinosaurs, anthropology and all manner of other creatures, in-
cluding humans. Show stoppers are the 25,000-year-old
Venus of Willendorf
statuette and
her older sister, the 32,000 BC statuette
Venus of Galgenberg
(the oldest figurative sculp-
ture in the world). The anthropology section is another highlight, giving you the chance
to be remodelled in a photograph as one of many different types of early human, with the
free option of emailing the result (very impressive if you leave your glasses on). At a CSI
table you can determine the gender, age and cause of death of a virtual skeleton.
KUNSTHISTORISCHES MUSEUM TOURS
For insight into the Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM), pick up a multilingual audio guide (€4) near the en-
trance. The KHM runs free guided tours in German, from 30-minute lunchtime tours (12.30pm Tuesday and
Thursday) to hour-long tours focusing on a particular artist or period (4pm Wednesday, 10.15am Friday). See
www.khm.at
for more details.
Leopold Museum
MUSEUM
