The Kunsthistorisches Museum, or Museum of Art History, is home to the imperial collections of Vienna. The main building, designed by Gottfried Semper, looks onto Maria-Theresien-Platz.
The museum was opened in 1891, after lengthy construction work, due especially to the lavish decoration. The interior is replete with fine marble and decorative frescoes, in which the painter Gustav Klimt played a part. The museum, called simply "Kunst," meaning "art," is rightly considered one of the most important and richest museums in the world, in particular for its extraordinary picture gallery. It is actually divided into numerous sections, ranging from archeology to applied arts, and features armor, musical instruments, ethnographical exhibits, jewelry and imperial carriages, with immense collections spread across several buildings, also located outside Vienna, such as Ambras Castle near Innsbruck, which houses art collections related to Emperor Ferdinand II.
It is important to know that the museum's collections are subject to continuous rearrangement and changes; however, the layout of the main building has a stable appearance, except for changes related to temporary exhibitions. Half of the ground floor is devoted to collections of Egyptian and Greco-Roman archeology, while displayed on the opposite side, the “Kunstkammer", are wonderful collections of objects and goldsmithing, most notably the Renaissance masterpieces collected by the Emperor Rudolf II.
The entire upper floor is occupied by the Picture Gallery: an imposing array of masterpieces, which at first glance may appear all too solemn. The visit, however, is aided by the structure of the tour, which is organized symmetrically into two rings of rooms, one featuring Italian, French, and Spanish paintings and the other works from the Central and Northern European schools.
To find your way around more easily, I suggest you pick up the map at the information point and, if you are an art and history buff, ask for the audio guide, for which there may be a charge.
An interesting fact: do you want to see another truly spectacular part of the museum? No, not another room with paintings: the museum cafeteria! You will find it on the first floor, just after the majestic staircase. In addition to stucco, marble, gilding and frescoes, it is topped by a truly magnificent dome.
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