Museum of Applied Arts

In 1863, Rudolf von Eitelberger faced an impossible problem... Austria was losing to Britain in design and craftsmanship. His solution? Create Europe's first state-run museum of art and industry—not as imperial grandeur, but as a public laboratory for innovation. The museum opened in a borrowed ballroom on Ballhausplatz, but something grander was demanded. What stands before you here at Stubenring 5 was Vienna's answer. In 1871, this building became the very first museum to grace the grand Ringstraße itself. Architect Heinrich von Ferstel wrapped it in Italian Early Renaissance facades... a deliberate message that design deserves the same reverence as fine art. As you step through the entrance, the Columned Main Hall surrounds you with soaring arches and ornate ceilings—not mere decoration, but a statement that functional beauty matters. Look deeper and you find the real treasures. That simple wooden chair over there? Michael Thonet's Model No. 14, designed in 1859... millions sold worldwide. Walk through the Vienna 1900 galleries and witness where Klimt, Hoffmann, and the revolutionary Wiener Werkstätte changed what modern design could be. This place didn't just collect genius—it created the very conversation that shaped how we live.