Step into the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, also known as the Museum of Fine Arts, Vienna, located on the city's famous Ring Road. Opened around 1891 by Emperor Franz Joseph I to house and share the Habsburgs' formidable art collection with the public, it is the largest art museum in Austria. You will be captivated by the festive palatial building, which features a 60-meter octagonal dome and a Renaissance Revival sandstone façade matching the Natural History Museum across Maria-Theresien-Platz.
Inside, lavish interiors await you with marble, stucco, gold-leaf, and a grand stairway adorned with murals by Gustav Klimt, Ernst Klimt, Franz Matsch, Hans Makart, and Mihály Munkácsy. Art lovers will discover world-renowned masterworks in the picture gallery, including notable paintings by Pieter Brueghel the Elder like The Tower of Babel and The Hunters in the Snow. You can also admire masterpieces by Jan van Eyck, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, and Johannes Vermeer, alongside Benvenuto Cellini's famous Cellini Salt Cellar sculpture.
Beyond the paintings, you can explore the Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection, Greek and Roman Antiquities, Coin Collection, and Sculpture and Decorative Arts.
What to see at Kunsthistorisches Museum
- Marvel at Renaissance Revival architecture featuring a 60-meter octagonal dome
- See grand stairway murals by Gustav Klimt and other renowned artists
- Discover famous masterworks by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Caravaggio, and Vermeer
- Explore the historic collections of the Habsburgs, including decorative arts and antiquities
Visiting tips
Make time to admire the lavish grand stairway and its decorative ceiling murals by Gustav Klimt and his contemporaries before entering the main galleries.
How long: 2-4 hours · Best time: Morning
How to get there & what’s nearby
Kunsthistorisches Museum is easy to reach on Vienna’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Schönbrunn Palace and St. Stephen's Cathedral. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Vienna travel guide.
See the full Vienna travel guide for where to stay, the best time to visit and the top things to do.