Natural History Museum

How to get there: a 10-minute walk from Hotel Appartements Riemergasse, or take either tram No. 1 or 2, getting off at the Burgring stop (10 minutes) 

The Natural History Museum is located adjacent to the Ringstrasse on the Maria Theresien Platz, directly across from the Art History Museum. From Hotel Appartement Riemergasse in the centre of Vienna it is a beautiful stroll to the museum.

Demolition of the old city walls led to construction of the most magnificent boulevard in the entire Danube Monarchy, the Vienna Ringstrasse. The Natural History Museum is one of the imposing buildings flanking this road. Emperor Franz Joseph I granted a commission to architect Gottfried Semper for this building and thus the Natural History Museum was constructed from 1871 until 1891. As was the case with the Art History Museum, little heed was paid to the scarcity of financial resources and there was certainly no skimping when it came to use of exquisite materials either.

In this imposing palatial museum, many magnificent époques are represented, from Ancient Egypt to Greek and Roman antiquity to the Middle Ages and far beyond. 

We can thank the avid-travelling Habsburgs for the impressive collections which they brought to Austria from many distant lands. These are, indeed, outstandingly preserved, imposing and invaluable treasures. But there is more to be found in this museum than exotic, irreplaceable exhibits. Austrian finds are also on display here, including the ca. 25,000-year-old Venus of Willendorf. 

Furthermore, you can also gaze upon life-size dinosaurs as well as upon the  Steller's Sea Cow, which became extinct some 200 years ago. The 39 exhibition rooms utilize state-of-the-art exhibition technology to provide wonderful insights into eras past. The Vienna Natural History Museum is regarded as one of the world's ten best museums.