The Best Museums To Visit In Vienna

Europe is a dream destination for many. After all, it's home to some of the most historic, charming, and friendly cities in the world. From Amsterdam's canals and endless museums to Florence's incredible food and London's endless family-friendly attractions, there's something for every type of traveler. The list of popular holiday destinations in Europe is extensive, but there is one place that's often overlooked. In fact, it may just be Europe's most underrated metropolis: Vienna.

It's time to change that! The Austrian capital is home to royal palaces, top-rated art museums, family-friendly attractions (like the world's oldest zoo), a rich cafe culture with mouth-watering cakes at every turn, and more. Many of its star attractions are located within walking distance of each other and a large portion are clustered in the MuseumsQuartier. Exploring the historic city center on foot is not only easy but a must. Meanwhile, attractions that are further afield are well connected by an extensive metro and tram network. To help inspire your next trip and make planning your itinerary a little easier, here are the very best must-visit museums in Vienna.

Set in a sprawling park, the Belvedere museum complex is made up of two historic palaces (Upper Belvedere and Lower Belvedere), a modern-day addition dedicated to contemporary art (Belvedere 21), and lush Baroque-style gardens. You could easily spend an entire day here, but if you're tight on time and still want to visit all three museums (Tip: Opt for the 3-in-1 day ticket), you'll need to allocate about three hours.

Built by Prince Eugene of Savoy in the early 1700s, Upper and Lower Belvedere were meant to serve as his summer home. Now, the lavish estate houses some of the world's greatest art. Start at Upper Belvedere to see works from the Middle Ages running through Baroque, Modernism, and all the way up to the 1970s. Here, you'll have the chance to view pieces from greats like Egon Schiele, Claude Monet, and Vincent van Gogh. However, it's the Gustav Klimt collection – the largest in the world – that sets art lovers' hearts aflutter, including the iconic "The Kiss."

As for Lower Belvedere, it's home to temporary exhibits, like 2023's "Klimt. Inspired by Van Gogh, Rodin, Matisse," and offers a chance to glimpse how Prince Eugene lived through preserved period rooms, including the Marble Gallery, Gold Cabinet, and Hall of Grotesques. Finish off your visit at Belvedere 21, which was specially built to showcase contemporary art, film, and music.

The Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna looks like a palace and the collection it houses is truly royal in nature. Opened in 1891, the museum was commissioned by Emperor Franz Joseph I as a place to display the Imperial Collections of the Habsburgs. Step into the opulent entrance hall and you'll be greeted by a dizzying array of sculptures, marble columns, and gold. Walk up the grand staircase and admire the paintings created by brothers Ernst and Gustav Klimt and Franz von Matsch, which decorate all of the empty spaces between arches and columns.

This breathtaking beginning sets the tone for the impressive (and varied!) art collection you'll experience inside. Spanning Ancient Egypt to the late 18th century, artifacts range from Egyptian sarcophagi to Greek and Roman antiquities, some 600,000 coins, as well as paintings by an impressive array of Old Masters. Here, you'll be able to admire works by the likes of Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt van Rijn, and Johannes Vermeer, as well as experience the world's largest collection of works by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. In need of a break? You can stop by the café-restaurant for a traditional coffee and torte served in the gorgeous Cupola Hall or settle in for a full breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

The Leopold Museum is conveniently located next to the Natural History Museum Vienna and Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna and is home to an impressive array of Austrian modern art collected by Dr. Rudolf Leopold and his wife, Elisabeth Leopold. Dr. Leopold began acquiring works in the 1950s and eventually ended up with over 5,000 pieces from local masters like Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, and Oskar Kokoschka. As his obituary in The New York Times pointed out, Dr. Leopold was particularly fond of Schiele, even though his works were taboo and quite controversial at the time. In addition to writing books about the artist, he amassed the largest Egon Schiele collection in the world, comprising 42 paintings, 187 original graphics, and various manuscripts.

In 2001, the Leopold Museum opened to allow everyone to enjoy the fruits of Leopold's art collecting. The space is truly a love letter to the art of Vienna, particularly Viennese Modernism. In addition to the Schiele collection, the permanent exhibition, "Vienna 1900. Birth of Modernism," brings together 1,300 paintings, sculptures, photographs, textiles, furniture, and more to present a well-rounded picture of the art of the times.

Think of a famous composer and chances are, they lived and worked in Vienna – at least for a time. Indeed, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Strauss, Franz Schubert, and Joseph Haydn all called the city home and six of their former apartments have been turned into museums. You can purchase a combined ticket to save nearly 40% on admission and gain access to: Haydnhaus where Haydn spent the last 12 years of his life; Johann Strauss Wohnung where Strauss lived and worked for seven years; Schubert Geburtshaus where the composer was born; Schubert Sterbewohnung, the apartment where he spent the last few weeks of his life before his death at just 31; Beethoven Pasqualatihaus where Beethoven worked on many of his famed symphonies over eight years; and the Beethoven Museum which showcases the famed maestro's life, work, and struggles. While the museums are compact, they are spread out across the city, so you may want to visit them on separate days. Luckily, your ticket is valid for a full year.

Note: You may also wish to visit Mozarthaus Vienna, the only remaining Viennese apartment that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart once called home, but that will require a separate ticket.

The first Jewish museum in the world was founded in Vienna in 1895 and today's Jewish Museum Vienna continues that storied legacy. During WWII, Nazis closed the museum and confiscated its collection, over half of which was never to be seen again. The surviving objects now make up the core of today's museum, which aims to shine a light on Jewish history, religion, and culture. It is split into two locations – Museum Judenplatz and Museum Dorotheergasse – but they can easily be visited at the same time, as they're just an eight-minute walk apart. However, your ticket is valid for seven days, so you can also split them up if you prefer.

We recommend starting at Museum Dorotheergasse where the permanent exhibit "Our City! Jewish Vienna – Then to Now" will teach you about Jewish life from the Middle Ages until the present day. Other highlights include the Atelier, which showcases the art of celebrating various holidays and festivities, as well as Visible Storage, which houses the remaining collection from the original museum. Then, you can make your way to Museum Judenplatz, housed on the site where a 13th-century synagogue once stood until its destruction in 1421. This was the heart of the Jewish quarter at the time and the synagogue's remains can be seen inside the museum alongside a virtual reconstruction.

Yes, the Ernst Fuchs Museum (Otto Wagner Villa) is off the beaten path, but it rewards those who make the effort to reach it with a truly surprising gem of a visit. Accessible by public transport from the Maria-Theresien-Platz, this unique museum brings together two great artists – Otto Wagner and Ernst Fuchs – and offers a rare respite from the crowds.

Famed Austrian architect Otto Wagner (born in 1841) left his stamp all around the city and you can still admire his Art Nouveau creations while wandering Vienna's historic center, from his Majolikahaus (Majolica House) to the Karlsplatz metro station. However, this villa offers the unique opportunity to visit an entire home dreamt up by Wagner. Built in 1888 as a summer getaway for his family, the villa later changed hands and fell into disrepair until Viennese painter Ernst Fuchs (born in 1930) purchased it in 1972. With help from Wagner's original designs, he lovingly restored the home and went on to use it as his own studio. These days, a visit offers the chance to admire the works of both men.

Walk through the opulent rooms filled with period furniture (including Art Nouveau decor designed by Wagner himself), take in the Fuchs paintings adorning the walls, and get ready to have your breath taken away by beautiful touches, like the stunning stained glass windows by Adolf Böhm.