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Tickets for the Albertina Exhibitions
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In the heart of Vienna, between the State Opera and the Hofburg, stands the majestic Albertina, the largest Habsburg residential palace and one of the most prestigious art museums in the world. Situated on the remains of the former Augustinian bastion of the medieval city walls, this extraordinary building houses the world’s largest and most valuable collection of graphic art, with more than one million prints and 65,000 drawings ranging from the 15th century to the present day.
The Albertina is not just a museum, but a journey through five centuries of European art. Here you will find iconic works such as ‘The Young Hare’ and ‘Hands at Prayer’ by Albrecht Dürer, alongside masterpieces by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and the great modern masters from Monet to Picasso. The palace itself, with its 22 magnificently restored Habsburg State Rooms, is a unique example of imperial residential culture.
Its prime location on Albertinaplatz offers not only a spectacular view of the Opera and the Hotel Sacher, but also easy access from the city centre. The museum owes its name to its founders: Albert of Saxony-Teschen and his wife Maria Christina, favourite daughter of Empress Maria Theresia, who in 1776 started what was to become the world’s most important graphic collection.
Since its opening to the public, the Albertina has set new standards for exhibition art, combining historical works with temporary exhibitions of international significance, attracting over half a million visitors each year with exhibitions devoted to art giants such as Van Gogh, Raphael and Dürer.
The history of the Albertina began in 1793, when Albert of Saxony-Teschen bought what was then known as the Taroucca Palace. Albert, governor of Hungary and Austrian Belgium, had married Archduchess Maria Christina, favourite daughter of Empress Maria Theresa, in what was described as an exceptional love marriage for the time.
The name ‘Albertina’ was derived from the union of their first names: Albert and Christina. The couple shared a passion for art that led them to create a collection intended, in Albert’s words, to ‘serve the highest purposes: education and the strength of morality’.
Already in 1776, even before the acquisition of the palace, Albert had presented his wife with a collection of around 30,000 graphic pieces. For over fifty years, the duke had his agents acquire graphic collections throughout Europe, creating an unprecedented artistic heritage.
The palace was expanded by the architect Louis Montoyer until it bordered directly on the imperial Hofburg. This expansion was not only physical: the Albertina became the cultural centre of the Habsburg court, where artists, intellectuals and collectors from all over Europe met.
After Albert, the palace passed to Archduke Charles, winner of the Battle of Aspern against Napoleon. In 1820, Charles initiated major renovations entrusted to the architect Josef Kornhäusel, who focused mainly on interior decoration, creating the splendid interiors that we still admire today.
The palace remained the main residence of the Habsburgs until 1919, when with the fall of the Austrian Empire, the collection and the building passed to the newly founded Austrian Republic. In 1920 the collection was united with the court library collection, creating the modern Albertina Museum.
During the Second World War, the Albertina suffered significant damage, but most of the works were saved. The post-war period marked the beginning of a new era: in 1965 the building finally opened to the public as a museum.
The modern transformation culminated in 2003 with the inauguration of the spectacular wing-shaped roof designed by architect Hans Hollein, which not only protects the historic building but has become an architectural icon of contemporary Vienna.
The heart of the Albertina is its graphic collection, founded in 1776 and consisting of more than one million prints and 65,000 drawings. This collection spans five centuries of European art and includes works by all the great masters.
Albrecht Dürer is the absolute star with 140 works, including the famous ‘The Young Hare’ (1502) and ‘Hands at Prayer’ (1508). ‘The Young Hare’, a watercolour of extraordinary technical precision on a sheet of just 25.1 x 22.6 cm, is considered one of the most perfect works in the history of art. The work shows a hare sitting on its hind legs with a realism that anticipates photography by centuries.
The ‘Praying Hands’, made with pen and ink on blue paper (29.1 x 19.7 cm), represents a study made for an apostle figure in the Heller Altar, destroyed by fire in 1729. The technical precision and expressiveness of the gesture make this work one of the most famous drawings of all time, second only to Leonardo’s ‘Vitruvian Man’.
The collection boasts masterpieces by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael. Michelangelo’s preparatory studies for the Sistine Chapel stand out, while Leonardo’s figure drawings and anatomical studies testify to his scientific curiosity.
Raphael ‘s studies for the Vatican Rooms show the creative process of the Urbino master. Particularly valuable are the preparatory cartoons and architectural drawings that document the transition from drawing to finished work.
In addition to Dürer, the collection includes works by Peter Paul Rubens, with his famous studies of children showing the spontaneity of the Flemish master. Rembrandt ‘s drawings document the evolution of his graphic technique, from his early engravings to the masterpieces of his maturity.
On the second floor, the Batliner Collection offers a unique panorama of the last 130 years of art history. This permanent collection, acquired by the Albertina in the 1990s, includes masterpieces of French Impressionism, German Expressionism and the Russian avant-garde.
Claude Monet is represented with works that show his evolution from his early Impressionist experiments to the mature series of Water Lilies. Edgar Degas amazes with his studies of ballerinas, while Paul Cézanne anticipates the artistic revolutions of the 20th century.
The 20th century opens with the masterpieces of Pablo Picasso, from the works of the Blue Period to the first cubist experiments. Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee represent abstraction, while Andy Warhol and Alex Katz document contemporary American art.
The 22 State Rooms of the Albertina represent one of the most comprehensive examples of Habsburg residential culture. Completely restored and furnished with original period furniture, these rooms offer a total immersion in imperial elegance.
The Hall of the Muses forms the heart of the state rooms, with its frescoed ceilings and artistic parquet flooring inlaid with rose and ebony wood. The carvings are made of the special alloy called ‘Albertina Gold’, which gives the decorations the unique brilliance that characterises Habsburg interiors.
The rooms are characterised by the colour predominance of bright yellow, green and turquoise, typical colours of the neoclassical era. Each room has a specific function: from reception rooms to private rooms, from libraries to studies, all furnished according to the taste of the period.
You can buy your admission ticket online at questo link and save queues at the ticket offices, especially during peak season and on weekends, to avoid queues and guarantee your preferred admission time.
Admission to the Vienna Albertina offers several savings options: it is completely free of charge for Vienna Pass holders, while Vienna City Card holders receive a discount on the standard adult price. This distinction is important to consider when choosing between the tourist cards, as the Vienna Pass includes free access to more than 90 attractions, while the Vienna City Card offers discounts on more than 200 partners as well as unlimited public transport.
The Albertina has the following opening hours throughout the year:
During holiday periods, opening hours may vary. It is advisable to always check the official website before visiting.
Full visit: 3-4 hours to see permanent collection, temporary exhibitions and State Rooms Concentrated visit: 2 hours for main highlights In-depth visit: Full day for art enthusiasts
Weekdays in the morning offer the quietest experience. Wednesday and Friday evenings allow you to enjoy the special atmosphere of the evening openings.
During the winter months, the Albertina offers an ideal cultural refuge from the Viennese cold, while in spring and summer the restaurant terrace is an exceptional added value.
Since March 2020, the Albertina has opened a second venue called Albertina Modern, located in the renovated Künstlerhaus on Karlsplatz. This space of over 2,000 m² is dedicated to modern and contemporary art from 1945 to the present day.
The Albertina Modern houses more than 60,000 works by 5,000 artists, with a special focus on contemporary Austrian art. The major Austrian protagonists include Arnulf Rainer with his important painting cycles, Maria Lassnig a pioneer of contemporary figurative art, Franz West with his sculptures and installations, Erwin Wurm famous for his performance sculptures and VALIE EXPORT representing conceptual and video art.
The international section boasts works by Andy Warhol with his famous silkscreens and portraits, Alex Katz with his characteristic American portraits and landscapes, Georg Baselitz with paintings and sculptures representing contemporary German art and Anselm Kiefer with his monumental works. The collection is mainly based on the Essl Collection, one of the most important private collections of contemporary art acquired by the Albertina in 2017.
The Albertina organises 10-14 temporary exhibitions of international relevance each year. These exhibitions range from classical art to contemporary photography, from architecture to digital art.
The museum regularly organises
A unique feature is the possibility of practising yoga in the Muses Room, an experience that combines wellness and art in an extraordinary historical setting.
The Albertina is in a prime location in the centre of Vienna, easily accessible by all means of public transport. The U-Bahn (underground) offers several options: the U1, U2 and U4 lines stop at ‘Karlsplatz/Oper’, while the U3 line has stops at ‘Herrengasse’ or ‘Stephansplatz’, both within walking distance of the museum.
As for trams, lines 1, 2 and D stop directly at the ‘Oper’ station, while lines 62 and 71 together with the Lokalbahn Wien-Baden stop at ‘Kärntner Ring/Oper’. Buses offer even more direct connections: line 2A stops directly at the ‘Albertina’ stop, while line 3A stops at ‘Albertinaplatz’, right in front of the museum.
The Albertina is located at Albertinaplatz 1, in Vienna’s first district. For those arriving by car, several pay car parks are available nearby, including the Opera Car Park in Operngasse and the Garage Am Hof in the vicinity of the Old City, both of which are only a few minutes’ walk away.
The museum is fully accessible by wheelchair. The main entrance has escalators and a lift, and there are disabled toilets inside. Wheelchairs can be hired after booking by telephone.
City Card allow you to save on public transport and / or on the entrances to the main tourist attractions.
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