The Kunsthistorisches Museum in 2 hours: the essential route
Quick answer
In 2 hours you can cover the KHM's essentials: the staircase with Klimt murals, the Bruegel room, Vermeer, Raphael, Caravaggio, Velázquez and Titian in the Picture Gallery, and Cellini's Saliera in the Kunstkammer. Start with Bruegel and finish under the dome before the 6pm closing.
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The route: 10 stops in 2 hours
Picture Gallery rooms are sometimes rearranged for loans or restorations; the free floor plan at the entrance shows where each work is. Timings are approximate.
- 1
0:00 · Monumental staircase
The staircase and Klimt's murals
Before going up, look around: Gustav Klimt and his brother Ernst painted the spaces between the staircase columns when they were still young. A taste of imperial Vienna.
- 2
0:10 · Picture Gallery · Bruegel room
Hunters in the Snow (Bruegel the Elder, 1565)
The collection's most famous work and one of the best-known images of winter in painting. Look at the details: the skaters, the bird in mid-air and the village below.
- 3
0:25 · Picture Gallery · Bruegel room
The Tower of Babel and The Peasant Wedding (Bruegel)
The museum holds the world's largest Bruegel collection. Compare the architectural ambition of Babel with the everyday scene of the wedding.
- 4
0:40 · Picture Gallery · Dutch painting
The Art of Painting (Vermeer, c. 1666)
One of Vermeer's masterpieces: the painter seen from behind in his studio, with light coming from the left. It is his most ambitious painting.
- 5
0:55 · Picture Gallery · Italian Renaissance
Madonna of the Meadow (Raphael, 1505–06)
A perfect triangular composition of Mary, the infant Jesus and John the Baptist. One of the icons of the Italian Renaissance.
- 6
1:05 · Picture Gallery · Caravaggio
Madonna of the Rosary (Caravaggio, c. 1607)
An example of his dramatic theatrical light and a realism far from the classical ideal.
- 7
1:15 · Picture Gallery · Spanish painting
Velázquez's Infanta portraits
Portraits of Infanta Margarita Teresa, sent to the Vienna court. They show Velázquez's mastery of court portraiture.
- 8
1:25 · Picture Gallery · Venice
Titian and the Venetians
Look for Titian and for Giorgione's enigmatic The Three Philosophers. A good stop to see Venetian colour.
- 9
1:40 · Kunstkammer
Cellini's Saliera
The jewel of the Kunstkammer: a 16th-century gold and enamel piece made for Francis I of France. One of the most famous works of goldsmithing in the world.
- 10
1:55 · Dome
A coffee under the dome, if you have time
End with a coffee or simply looking up. The dome is one of the most beautiful spaces in the museum.
Tips to make the most of it
- Enter at 10am: the Bruegel rooms are quieter first thing.
- On a Thursday evening you have more time: the museum closes at 9pm.
- Point the AnyArt camera at any painting not on this list to hear its story without hunting for the label.
- If time is short, skip the Kunstkammer and give the Picture Gallery all your time.
Frequently asked questions
Can you see the Kunsthistorisches Museum in 2 hours?
Yes, focusing on the Picture Gallery and the Kunstkammer. This route covers Bruegel, Vermeer, Raphael, Caravaggio and Velázquez.
What about 1 hour?
Prioritise the Bruegel room, Vermeer's The Art of Painting and Raphael's Madonna of the Meadow. That is about 60 minutes.
Where is Hunters in the Snow?
In the Picture Gallery, in the room devoted to Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Ask at the desk for the current floor plan.
What is the best time to avoid lines?
10am on a weekday, or Thursday evenings, when the museum stays open until 9pm.