The Albertina was founded in 1768 by its namesake, Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen, son-in-law of Empress Maria Theresa, and is one of the premier museums in Austria. Because of the size and importance of its collections, the museum is best visited with a guide to take in the highlights and learn about their history. Alternatively, book a skip-the-line ticket to the museum in advance and take in the museum’s masterpieces independently before or after a sightseeing or hop-on-hop-off bus tour of Vienna.
The Albertina is located on Albertinaplatz in the heart of historic Vienna. Take the U-Bahn (underground) lines U1, U2, U4 to the Karlsplatz/Oper station, line U3 to the Stephansplatz station. Trams 1, 2, D, 62, 71, and the Lokalbahn Wien-Baden all stop at the nearby Kärntner Ring/Oper.
In addition to the permanent collections, the Albertina often hosts excellent temporary exhibitions, so check the upcoming program to see what is scheduled. The museum is open daily, and holds extended evening hours on Wednesdays and Fridays.
The Albertina’s gigantic permanent collection is broken into 4 principal departments, most notably the Graphic Art Collection that includes the world’s largest collection of Dürer drawings (totaling around 145) and a large number of works by Raphael, Rembrandt, and Schiele. Equally impressive is the Rita und Herbert Batliner Collection, one of the largest private collections of classical modern art in Europe, which came to the Albertina on permanent loan from Liechtenstein in 2007 and features iconic pieces by Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Giacometti, and Picasso. The Architecture Collection, which displays plans and models by architects like Francesco Borromini, Otto Wagner, and Lois Welzenbacher; and the sizable Photography Collection make up the remainder of the museum’s treasures. In addition to the galleries, you can visit the sumptuous State Rooms that once housed Habsburg archdukes and archduchesses.
