#Schnapps museum vienna opening hours full#

This is a decades-long rivalry that the Viennese love to cultivate since it fuels tourism-not to mention obliging us to compare ultra-rich tortes. Remember that eating cake is an essential part of any first trip to Vienna? One delicious task is to compare rival chocolate cakes at Hotel /Cafe Sacher and Cafe Demel. To plunge into Vienna's vibrant current-day artistic scene, meanwhile, the Kunsthalle Wien holds regular exhibits highlighting some of the most innovative and talented contemporary artists, both from Austria and from around the globe.

The museum also holds the world's largest and most precious collection of works by Egon Schiele, one of Austria's most beloved modern painters. Must-see museums in the complex include the Leopold Museum, which boasts a collection of Austrian Symbolist and Expressionist art and works from the famed Secession movement, led by Gustav Klimt. Don't let the Baroque-era facade fool you: Inside, the style is far more eclectic and contemporary, with airy, bright gallery spaces, colorful modern sculptures, and spaces to sit, lounge and soak up some artistic inspiration. Frequented by students and young people, the Museumsquartier is usually packed, especially in the summer months when the long days draw locals to come to hang out for hours in the outside areas.

#Schnapps museum vienna opening hours full#

The Museumsquartier is definitely the place to be if you want to experience the city's vibrant contemporary art scene, as well as take in modern masterpieces from Austrian artists such as Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele.Īround 70 different museums, galleries, theaters, dance halls, cultural associations, cafes, and restaurants make up this vast complex in the city center, warranting a full morning or afternoon of exploration. You can also take Tram line 1, 2, D and 71 (get off at Burgring).Īlthough Vienna is deeply associated with classical traditions in art, music, and architecture, it's also a hotbed of current artistic creation, home to an unusual number of modern art museums, theaters, and art schools. Getting There: The Hofburg can be accessed from the U3 (Orange) underground line get off at Herrengasse and follow the signs to the entrance. Overall, this reduces entry prices by about 25 percent, so it's well worth it. If you're also planning on visiting Schönbrunn Palace, the opulent historic abode of the imperial Hapsburg clan, you may want to consider purchasing a 'Sisi Ticket.' The ticket gives you combined entry to the Hofburg Palace and Schönbrunn Palace which houses the Imperial Furniture Collection. Silver Collection: Some 7,000 items of fine silver and historic tableware are displayed in this collection, inviting visitors to close their eyes and imagine the lavish, elaborate banquets that took place for many centuries on the same premises. Elegant dresses and jewels, parasols, fans and gloves, and even her personal medical trunk and death certificate make up the intriguing permanent collection. It traces the life of the empress from her childhood in the Imperial court to her death at the hand of an assassin in Switzerland in 1898. Sisi Museum: Named after the beloved Austrian Empress Elisabeth whose nickname was 'Sisi,' this collection of some 300 artifacts pays tribute to a powerful ruler whose legend has only grown over the decades. Visitors can get a good sense of how Imperial rulers spent their days, exploring rooms such as the study, lavatory and bathroom, dining room, salons, audience chambers, and bedrooms.

The current furnishings, which mostly date to the mid-19th century and 18th century, are spread across several incredibly lavish rooms. Imperial Apartments: If you've visited Versailles in Paris, you can already imagine the sort of opulence that awaits in the historic Imperial apartments of the Austrian emperors and empresses of old. Most of the complex is worth exploring on a first visit, but there are three main highlights to focus your attention on: Today, the Hofburg remains central to the Austrian government, housing the offices of the President as well as state ministers and secretaries of state. Until 1918 and the end of World War I, the Palace was the headquarters and main winter residence of the Imperial Monarchy the powerful Habsburgs reigned here for some six centuries starting in the 13th century. The vast complex-extending over 2.5 million square feet to comprise 18 wings, 19 courtyards, and 2,600 rooms-offers a glimpse into both the history and present day of Vienna. It has evolved from a medieval fortified castle into an imperial palace and is now one of the seats of democratic government, making it one of Europe's oldest and most enduring places of power. Situated in the historic center of Vienna, the Hofburg Palace is a stunning testament to the former Imperial power that once led much of Europe from the Austrian capital.