Why go
The Albertina is a palace built on the last stretch of Vienna’s old city fortifications, behind the State Opera, and one of the city’s most popular art museums. It was home to Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen, son-in-law of Maria Theresa, who began the collection of prints and drawings that is still its core. With around a million works on paper, including drawings by Dürer, Michelangelo, Rubens, Rembrandt and Klimt, it is one of the most important graphic collections in the world.
For most visitors the draw is a combination of three things under one roof: a strong permanent display of modern art, beautifully restored imperial rooms and a busy programme of temporary exhibitions.
What to see
The permanent collection, From Monet to Picasso, traces modern art from French Impressionism to the 20th century, with works by Monet, Degas, Cézanne, Matisse, Chagall and Picasso as well as Austrian artists such as Klimt, Schiele and Kokoschka. On the upper floor, the Habsburg state rooms have been returned to their 19th-century appearance, with silk walls, parquet floors and gilded furniture.
Temporary exhibitions draw on the graphic collection and on loans from abroad. From 30 October 2026 to 14 February 2027 the Albertina is showing Her Story. Works on paper are sensitive to light, so famous pieces such as Dürer’s Young Hare are only displayed for short periods.
Outside, the raised terrace by the entrance looks across to the State Opera and is a good place for photographs.
The museum also holds a large photography collection and an architecture collection, which feed into its exhibitions. Its drawings by Albrecht Dürer, including studies of animals, plants and praying hands, are among the most celebrated anywhere, but they are shown only occasionally to protect them from light, so check what is on display before you go.
Plan your visit
The museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm and until 9pm on Wednesdays and Fridays, when the galleries are calmer. Adult tickets cost €20.90, and over 65s and under 26s pay €17.50. Visitors under 19 go free. Over Christmas the hours change: on 24 December the museum closes at 2pm, while on 25 December and New Year’s Day it stays open until 9pm.
A combined ticket for all Albertina locations costs €29.90 and includes Albertina Modern, which shows art after 1945 in the Künstlerhaus on Karlsplatz. Allow at least two hours to see the permanent collection, the state rooms and one exhibition. There is a café and restaurant, and a large shop with books and prints.
Tickets are sold at the entrance and online. Booking ahead is worthwhile for popular exhibitions and at weekends.
Nearby
The State Opera and Hotel Sacher are across the square. The Hofburg, with the Burggarten, the Spanish Riding School and the National Library, is directly behind the Albertina, and the Tourist Info office on Albertinaplatz sells tickets and passes. Albertina Modern and Karlskirche are about ten minutes’ walk south. The Augustinian Church, where Habsburg weddings were held, is next door.