Point of interest
Kunsthistorisches Museum
in Vienna, Austria
One of Europe's great picture galleries — Bruegel, Vermeer, Caravaggio — housed in a sumptuous palace on the Ringstrasse.
Where it is
On Maria-Theresien-Platz along the Ringstrasse in the 1st district, facing the identically built Natural History Museum.
Address: 5 Burgring, 1010 Vienna
What it is
The collections span seven millennia, from the Egyptian and antiquities holdings to the world-famous Picture Gallery with works by Bruegel, Vermeer, Raphael and Caravaggio. The Kunstkammer and the opulent staircase with its café beneath the dome are also worth seeing.
History
The museum was opened in 1891 by Emperor Franz Joseph I to make the Habsburgs' extensive art collections accessible to the public. The grand Ringstrasse building was designed by Gottfried Semper and Carl von Hasenauer. It ranks among the foremost art museums in the world.