Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien: Skip The Line

The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History) is a sumptuous feast of art by Europe's finest artists and artisans. The collection, amassed by the now extinct House of Habsburg, features many essential Renaissance masterpieces, all contained under an elegant dome.In 1891, Hapsburg Emperor Franz Joseph I opened the on Vienna’s Ringstrasse. The new neoclassical building finally allowed the enormous (and enormously enviable) Habsburg art collection to be housed under one roof. Filled to the brim with masterpieces by some of Europe’s finest artists, it's an experience not to be missed while in Vienna. The building itself is a feast for the eyes - with marbles floors, frescoes, gold leaf and elegant staircases deserve to display awe-inspiring works. And they do.Collected over six hundred years, the artworks here span five millennia. In fact, this museum is every bit the equal of Europe's other 'top line museums' - the Vatican Museums, El Prado, the Louvre. Spanning Ancient Egypt, Classical Rome, and right up to the Renaissance, this collection is a testament to the exquisite taste and formidable power of the House of Habsburg. And with an afternoon here, you'll reap the reward of their diligent art collecting.If you're short on time, head straight for the Picture Gallery, with highlights such as Pieter Bruegel the Elder's , Giuseppe Arcimboldo's , and Raphael's . The mirror image building, across the Maria-Theresien-Platz is the Naturhistorisches Museum (Natural History Museum). It was opened at the same time as its twin - because the accumulated wealth of the Habsburgs required the space. If you can spare it, each museum deserves at least half a day of your time.