Albertina Museum Vienna guide: what to see and honest tips
Tickets for the Albertina Exhibitions
What is the Albertina in Vienna and is it worth visiting?
The Albertina holds the world's largest collection of graphic art — 65,000 drawings and nearly a million prints — including Dürer's Young Hare, Michelangelo drawings, and the world's largest Klimt drawing collection. It also holds a permanent gallery of Impressionist and modern painting (Monet, Picasso, Chagall) and blockbuster temporary exhibitions. Allow 2–3 hours; tickets are €17–20.
What the Albertina actually is
The Albertina has a dual identity that confuses first-time visitors. It is simultaneously the world’s greatest collection of drawings and prints (65,000 drawings, nearly a million prints, works by Dürer, Michelangelo, Raphael, Rembrandt, Klimt, Schiele) and a major modern art museum with significant Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings. Understanding this duality helps you decide what you want to see.
The collection was founded by Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen in the 18th century and grew through acquisitions by subsequent Habsburg owners. The building at Augustinerstraße 1 is partly the Augustinian Court Bastei (a medieval fortification) and partly a Classicist palace added in the late 18th century.
What you need to know before you go
Address: Augustinerstraße 1, 1010 Wien — adjacent to the Hofburg Palace, facing Albertinaplatz Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday 10 am–6 pm; Wednesday 10 am–9 pm. Closed Monday. Admission: €17–20 depending on current exhibitions; under 19 free Getting there: U1/U2/U4 to Karlsplatz (7 minutes walk); U1/U3 to Stephansplatz (5 minutes walk)
The Batliner Collection: Impressionist and modern painting
The Albertina’s permanent painting collection — the Sammlung Batliner — fills the first floor of the palace and is the most immediately accessible part of the museum. The collection runs chronologically from French Impressionism (Monet’s Waterlilies, several Renoir paintings) through Post-Impressionism (Cézanne, Van Gogh) to Expressionism (Kirchner, Nolde) and into the mid-20th century (Picasso, Chagall, Miró, Rothko).
The Monet waterlily paintings are the centrepiece: three large-format works from 1914–1917 that represent the furthest development of his garden series. In person they are different from the better-known versions at the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris — the brushwork is even more dissolved, the colour more saturated.
The Picasso works range across different periods and styles. The Chagall paintings are among the most publicly appreciated in the collection — the floating figures and saturated colours work well in an environment where many visitors arrive without specific foreknowledge.
The Batliner Collection takes approximately 1.5 hours for a thorough visit.
The graphic art collection: drawings and prints
The Albertina’s core collection — the drawings and prints — is not displayed in permanent galleries in the conventional sense. Works on paper are extremely light-sensitive and cannot be shown continuously under museum conditions. Instead, the Albertina rotates works through thematic and monographic exhibitions drawn from the collection, and holds specific works in study rooms for scholars.
The result for general visitors is that the collection’s famous works — Dürer’s Young Hare, the Michelangelo drawings, the Klimt studies — may or may not be on display during your visit. Check the museum website for the current exhibition programme.
Dürer’s Young Hare (1502): This watercolour study of a sitting hare in extraordinary observational detail is shown periodically in its own display. When it is on view, it is the most visited single work in the Albertina. The level of detail — individual hairs, the reflection in the eye — requires close looking to appreciate fully.
The Klimt drawings: The world’s largest collection of Klimt works on paper, including preparatory studies for his major paintings (The Kiss, Judith, the University paintings), life drawings, and finished drawings as independent works. These are shown in rotating thematic displays from the collection.
Schiele drawings: Significant holdings of Schiele’s most characteristic works — the angular self-portraits, the posed figures — that complement the Schiele paintings at the Upper Belvedere and the Leopold Museum.
Temporary exhibitions
The Albertina runs two to four major temporary exhibitions per year — typically monographic shows of major 20th-century artists (Picasso, Monet, Expressionists, contemporary) that draw substantial visitor numbers. These exhibitions tend to be the busiest part of the museum; book tickets online on days when a major show is open.
Current exhibitions are listed on the Albertina website. Temporary exhibition tickets are often separate from or in addition to the permanent collection admission.
Tickets and booking
Tickets for the Albertina exhibitionsOnline booking avoids the ticket queue, which can be long during major temporary exhibitions.
Wednesday evening: The Albertina stays open until 9 pm on Wednesdays with significantly reduced visitor numbers after 6 pm. This is the quietest period for viewing the Batliner Collection.
The Albertina building and terrace
The Albertina’s public terrace (Ehrenramp, the ceremonial ramp facing Albertinaplatz) offers one of the better urban views in central Vienna: the Staatsoper across the road, the Burggarten to the right, the Ringstrasse below. The large outdoor sculpture by Erwin Wurm (Fat House, or similar rotating installation) on the terrace is typically distinctive.
The building’s history as a Habsburg palace is visible in the state rooms (Prunkräume) on the first floor, which are open as part of the museum visit — elaborate Neoclassical interiors from the early 19th century, including the rooms used by Archduke Karl.
Combining with nearby sites
Adjacent: The Augustinerkirche (Augustinian Court Church), literally next door, is where Habsburg hearts were kept in silver urns after 1654. It is free to enter and takes 15 minutes. The Hofburg’s main visitor entrance (Sisi Museum, Imperial Apartments) is a 3-minute walk from the Albertina entrance.
Same-day: The Albertina and the Belvedere are both manageable in one day — Albertina in the morning, Belvedere in the afternoon — but the combination is long (5–6 hours of museum time). Our Vienna 3-day itinerary spaces them across separate days.
Klimt trail: For Klimt enthusiasts, the Albertina drawings + the Belvedere paintings + the KHM staircase (early Klimt) + the Secession building (Beethoven Frieze) constitute the complete Vienna Klimt itinerary. Our Klimt trail guide maps the full route.
Frequently asked questions about the Albertina Museum
What is the most famous work in the Albertina?
Albrecht Dürer’s Young Hare (1502) — a watercolour in extraordinary detail — is the most famous individual work, shown periodically due to light sensitivity.
Does the Albertina have Klimt paintings?
The Albertina holds the world’s largest collection of Klimt drawings. For Klimt oil paintings, the Upper Belvedere is the primary Vienna institution.
What is the difference between the Albertina and Albertina Modern?
The main Albertina holds Old Master drawings, Impressionist painting, and major temporary exhibitions. The Albertina Modern at Karlsplatz focuses on modern and contemporary art from 1900 to the present. Separate museums, separate tickets.
Where is the Albertina in Vienna?
Augustinerstraße 1, adjacent to the Hofburg Palace — 5 minutes walk from Stephansdom, facing Albertinaplatz.
Is the Albertina included in the Vienna PASS?
Yes — the Vienna PASS includes the Albertina and the Albertina Modern.
When does the Albertina close?
Closed Mondays. Open Tuesday–Sunday 10 am–6 pm; Wednesday until 9 pm.
Frequently asked questions about Albertina Museum Vienna guide: what to see and honest tips
What is the most famous work in the Albertina?
Does the Albertina have Klimt paintings?
What is the difference between the Albertina and the Albertina Modern?
Where is the Albertina in Vienna?
Is the Albertina included in the Vienna PASS?
When does the Albertina close?
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