The figure of Sisi, empress; the largest Brueghel collection in the world, the jewels and crowns of the Habsburgs, the best-preserved imperial carriages in Europe, the armor of the imperial family or the most important inventory of Renaissance and Baroque instruments in the world. These are some of the wonders that the museums of the Austrian capital offer you.
The imperial collections of the Habsburgs do not leave indifferent, the collecting desire of the emperors and the archdukes of the House of Austria is well known. Therefore, if you plan to travel to Vienna, take note of these must-see museums, as well as the traveling exhibitions they are currently hosting or those that will arrive in the coming months. The tour begins in one of the most important museums in the world.
Its main and exclusive works by Dürer, Raphael, Rubens, Rembrandt, Titian, Vermeer and Velázquez, as well as the largest Brueghel collection in the world, leave no one indifferent in this museum located on Ringstraße and built under the mandate of the emperor Francisco José for the imperial collections. Its objects from five millennia ago cover from the time of ancient Egypt and ancient Greece until the end of the 18th century. Its magnificent architecture and the series of paintings present in the imposing staircase, to which Gustav Klimt contributed, already offer a great artistic experience.
In the chamber of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien (Vienna Art History Museum) you can see 2,200 world-class works of art, including the famous "Salt Cellar of Francis I of France" by Benvenuto Cellini, masterful bronze statuettes, ivory filigrees, valuable watches and sophisticated automata by the best and most famous artists.
The art gallery houses important unique works by Dürer, Raphael, Rubens, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Titian, Vermeer and Velázquez, as well as a Brueghel collection with twelve spectacular works. In addition to the famous "Tower of Babel", you can admire others such as "Hunters in the Snow", "Children's Games" and "The Peasant Wedding", all masterpieces of the Dutch Renaissance. In the Bruegel Saal gallery, you will feel all the creative power of this Flemish painter, which is why the museum becomes a must for art lovers.
Let yourself be dazzled by the crowns and jewels of the Habsburgs. The Imperial Treasury Chamber (Kaiserliche Schatzkammer Wien) in the Hofburg Imperial Palace houses unique treasures, including the Imperial Crown of Austria and the Crown Treasury of the Holy Roman Empire with the Imperial Crown and Holy Spear.
Likewise, the space houses other relevant elements such as the treasure of the Order of the Golden Fleece and pieces of the immeasurable treasure of Burgundy from the fifteenth century. You can also see the original jewels of Empress Elisabeth (Sissi herself), such as a brooch with three three-leaf clovers set with numerous small diamonds and three conical pearls, and other legendary treasures such as the agate bowl considered the Holy Grail , the largest carved emerald in the world or the horn of the mythical “unicorn”.
Whether you are a car lover or not, seeing the best-preserved imperial car fleet in Europe is always exciting. You can do it in the Museum of Imperial Carriages (Kaiserliche Wagenburg Wien), where, in addition to the exclusive vehicles of the Habsburgs, you can browse magnificent fittings and impressive ceremonial dresses. In other words, the glamorous world of the Viennese court.
The museum pays special attention to Empress Elisabeth, the “Lady Di of the 19th century”. In addition to Sisi's magnificent carriages, portraits, paintings and unique items from Sisi's personal belongings are on display, including a true emblem for her admirers: the magnificent black dress with a meter-long train that Fanny Scheiner designed for her around 1885. The Empress's impressive look with the famous “Viennese wasp waist” that she invented herself is brought to life in a unique and incomparable way with this original dress. Her only surviving saddle (considered the best horsewoman of her time) and her “riding chapel” with portraits of her countless favorite horses, which has now been reconstructed for the first time, are equally a myth.
In the museum you can also accompany other characters as diverse as the Empress Maria Theresa, the Emperor Franz Joseph and Napoleon Bonaparte throughout their eventful lives.
It is world famous. Not in vain, it concentrates the more than 500 years that the Habsburgs dedicated to gathering their collection: from pieces from the art chamber of Emperor Rudolf II, the exclusive "Penacho" or an ancient Mexican feather headdress to the famous collection of the British circumnavigated James Cook or objects from the exploration and research trips of the 19th century. All of them, cultural treasures from around the world within the framework of the Ethnographic Museum (Weltmuseum Wien).
The same headquarters of the Ethnographic Museum, specifically, the New Palace (Neue Burg), houses two other collections of the Museum of Art History in Vienna. The Hunting and Armory Hall of the Viennese Court (Wiener Hofjagd- und Rüstkammer) displays the ceremonial armor and weapons of the imperial family and its entourage, the armory of Archduke Ferdinand II of Tyrol, and hunting and sporting weapons of the Habsburgs .
On the other hand, the Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments (Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente) boasts the most important inventory of Renaissance and Baroque instruments in the world. Many of them were played by famous musicians and composers such as Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. The central axis of the collection also includes exclusive pieces of Viennese fortepianos, the string instruments of Jacob Stainer and the woodwind instruments of the Renaissance.
Archduke Ferdinand II had Ambras Castle built on the grounds of a medieval palace as a refuge for his secret wife, Philippine Welser. He had the medieval castle enlarged, in which a separate museum building was also erected for his collections and treasures. To visit this space is to embark on an exciting journey in which to discover, for example, the famous Chamber of Art and Curiosities, the Spanish Room, the armory, the original Philippine Welser bathroom or the exclusive Strasser glass collection. Of course, while Ambras Castle, in Innsbruck, is open every day from December to March, you can only enjoy the portrait gallery from April to October.
Do not miss the privilege of contemplating, in the Theater Museum (Theatermuseum) of the Lobkowitz Palace, one of the most famous modernist-style paintings by Gustav Klimt: "Nuda Veritas". A work that shows Marie Zimmermann, muse, model and mother of her two children, Gustav and Otto. The painting can be admired permanently in the new presentation The Naked Truth. Gustav Klimt and his Vienna around 1900 (Die Nackte Wahrheit. Gustav Klimt und sein Wien um 1900), an essential visit for admirers of the painter.
