The 5 Best Art Museums in Vienna

The Best Museum: Albertina

Our top suggestion is Albertina Museum. If you can only visit one art museum in Vienna, this is definitely your go-to option. Obviously, the exact exhibitions always depend on when you are visiting, but Albertina always has a good selection for any art-lover.

The permanent exhibitions is a great walkthrough of modern art, starting with Impressionism and going all the way to Picasso. If you want a concise overview of some of the most famous artist, this is perfect for you.

Apart from that Albertina has many great temporary exhibitions in place, ranging from photography to contemporary art, and from drawings to sculptures. There different temporary exhibitions showcase something for everyone and allow you to explore a range of painting styles and art forms in a single museum.

The cherry on top is that you also get access to the former Imperial Palace and can walk through many rooms formerly used by the Habsburg emperors. This mean you can combine art and sightseeing in one museum.

Belvedere Museum

Belvedere offers some great exhibitions that are always worth exploring. The permanent exhibition showcases some of the most famous Austrian artists, including the world-famous painting “The Kiss” by Gustav Klimt. In addition to the permanent exhibition, the temporary exhibitions offer great insights into various epochs of art history. Ranging from Italian Renaissance painting, to Baroque still lifes or more modern artists like Salvador Dali. Of course the temporary exhibitions keep changing, so make sure to check our their website hier.

One additional benefit of visiting Belvedere: You can combine it with a nice stroll through the beautiful park, a visit to the adjacent Botanical Gardens or simply enjoy the beautiful architecture of Belvedere Palace. The Palace offers an amazing atmosphere for history-lovers as well: The upper part of the palace houses the rooms in which the Austrian Treaty of Independence was singend in 1955. So even if you are not into art, this is an amazing place to go.

Leopold Museum

If you are keen to explore some of the most famous Austrian artists, Leopold Museum is probably your best bet. They have the biggest collection of artworks by Egon Schiele, one of the most famous Austrian artists. Apart from that, they also house artworks by many more Austrian artists around the 1900s.

If you are keen to explore some of the most famous Austrian artists, Leopold Museum is probably your best bet. They have the biggest collection of artworks by Egon Schiele, one of the most famous Austrian artists. Apart from that, they also house artworks by many more Austrian artists around the 1900s.

MAK

MAK (Museum for Applied Arts) offers a slightly different museum experience than the other suggestions on this list. It’s perfect for you if you do want to explore art, but are looking for something a bit more out of the box than “just” painting.

It houses a massive collection of furniture, sculptures, glass and metal objects, fabrics, porcelain and many more objects, all of which range from the Middle Ages up until today. So if you want to dive deep into how it felt to live in Vienna over the past centuries, make sure to visit MAK.

Kunsthistorisches Museum

Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) is perfect for you if you are more interested in more traditional painting. They have a massive collection of Renaissance and Baroque painting and you can spend ages looking at famous works by Bruegel, Raffael and Titian. They also offer an interesting exhibit of Ancient Egyptian sculpture, coins and antique works of art.

In addition to the amazing art inside, the building itself is a work of art in and of itself. Through the beautiful architecture it provides the perfect backdrop for the artworks and you will for sure enjoy your visit to it.