Weltmuseum Wien

Weltmuseum WienThe Emperor and the world at large – in the Hofburg Palace on Vienna’s Ringstrasse

The Weltmuseum Wien is one of the world’s leading ethnographical museums, situated in the Hofburg Palace on Vienna’s Ringstrasse. In 14 distinct exhibition galleries, the focus is on unique cultural treasures from all over the world. The aim is to communicate to visitors the cultural diversity, stories and ways of life in an entertaining way.

The highlights of the Museum represent more than 500 years of high-quality collecting activities on the part of the Habsburgs – among them objects from the Cabinet of Curiosities of Emperor Rudolf II, the unique Mexican feather headdress »Penacho«, the world-famous collection of James Cook, and objects from the voyages of discovery and research of the 19th century.

The gallery of the breathtaking Hall of Columns also provides access to two collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna. The Imperial Armoury is packed full of magnificent suits of armour and decorative weapons that attest to chivalric values and important occasions at court. The Collection of Historic Musical Instruments (from Autumn 2018) comprises the original instruments of some of the world’s greatest composers such as Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven.