Kunsthistorisches Museum

If you’re an art buff don’t miss the Kunsthistorisches Museum, one of the finest in Europe. The Habsburgs loved to collect, and many goodies found their way back to Vienna from their extensive territories. It’s impossible to see the whole museum in one visit, so plan ahead or expect to indulge in repeat excursions.

Rubens was appointed to the service of a Habsburg governor in Brussels, so it is not surprising that the museum has one of the best collections of his works. The collection of paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder is also unrivalled.

The works by Canova, Vermeer, Dürer, Rembrandt, Raphael, Van Dyck, Cranach, Caravaggio, Canaletto and Titian aren’t bad and there are extensive collections of Egyptian, Greek and Roman artefacts, and sculpture and decorative arts covering the Austrian high baroque, Renaissance, mannerist and medieval periods, including Cellini’s famously over-the-top salt cellar.

The building itself has some delightful features. The murals between the arches above the stairs were created by three artists, including a young Klimt (northern wall), painted before he broke with classical tradition.