Museums Quartier

How to get there: a 15-minute walk from Hotel Appartements Riemergasse or ride the U 3 underground line (less than 10 minutes).

The Museums Quartier ("Museum Quarter"), abbreviated MQ, is only a few minutes from Hotel Appartements Riemergasse in the historical heart of the city. The former court stables of the Vienna Hofburg Palace today serve as one of the world's largest cultural sites.

In addition to plans for Schönbrunn Palace and expansion of the Vienna Hofburg, architect Fischer von Erlach was also commissioned in 1713 with construction of the court stables for the Hofburg. But with the invention of the car and end of the monarchy in 1918, these stables were no longer needed to play their original role as stables and as a garage for carriages.

As of 1921, the building was then used as a venue for trade shows and exhibitions. In 1985, the former court stables began serving as the site for cultural events. Finally, and after long discussion, construction of the Museums Quartier began in 1998 and the work was completed in 2001. Just two years after its opening, the MQ had developed into a vibrant and quite unique cultural quarter of international caliber.

In recent years, the MQ has established itself as one of the world's ten largest cultural sites. Surrounding the MQ you will find numerous contemporary exhibition venues such as the Kunsthalle, the Leopold Museum and the "Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien", also know as the MUMOK. It also houses production studios for new media, as well as artists' studios, the Vienna Architectural Centre, art and cultural institutions especially for children, as well as a variety of special events and festivals. The breadth of its programme makes the MQ truly one of a kind.