Exploring The Austrian National Library: A Half-Day Adventure

The Austrian National Library is a magical book trove in Vienna. The State Hall is the most exclusive room in the library, and it isn't easily accessible without attending a wedding or private event. Beyond the State Hall, the library has several permanent exhibitions, including the Literature Museum, Papyrus Museum, Globe Museum, Esperanto Museum, and the House of Austrian History. There are also many temporary exhibitions throughout the year. The library has an elaborate dome, several frescoes, and four Venetian globes. You could spend weeks at the library and not see everything.

Frescoes and statuary

The Austrian National Library is home to a breathtaking array of frescoes and statuary. The State Hall, built in the 18th century, is a baroque jewel, with an intricately decorated dome and numerous frescoes providing an imperial flair. One Tripadvisor review suggests that you could spend an hour looking at the incredibly detailed painting of the deification of the emperor. There is also some quality statuary, globes, and massive columns with gilded capitals.

The State Hall is just one part of the library, and there are several permanent exhibitions to visit, including the Literature Museum, Papyrus Museum, Globe Museum, Esperanto Museum, and the House of Austrian History. There are also many temporary exhibitions throughout the year. You could spend weeks at this library and not see everything.

State Hall

The Austrian National Library is a magical book trove in Vienna. It is a spectacular place, with the State Hall at its heart. The State Hall is nearly 80 metres long and 20 metres high, with an elaborate dome, several frescoes, and four Venetian globes. The frescoes on the ceiling are particularly impressive, with their epic scale and very high quality. One massive fresco depicts the deification of the emperor, and you could spend an hour looking at this incredibly detailed painting alone. There is also some quality statuary, including a notable marble statue in the centre of Emperor Charles VI as 'Hercules Musarum'. The State Hall also has two terrestrial and two celestial globes, each about one metre in diameter. The ceiling paintings, created from 1726 to 1730, depict the apotheosis, or 'deification' of Emperor Charles VI, and include the god Apollo, Hercules, and numerous symbols of the House of Habsburg painted into the central dome.

The State Hall is just one part of the Austrian National Library, which also includes several permanent exhibitions such as the Literature Museum, Papyrus Museum, Globe Museum, Esperanto Museum and the House of Austrian History. There are also many temporary exhibitions throughout the year. You could spend weeks at this library and not see everything. All of the exhibitions have their own individual opening times and ticket prices, and library tickets can be purchased at the service desk of the Library at Heldenplatz, at other service desks (State Hall, Palais Mollard and Literature Museum) or online.

The State Hall is usually open to the public, but due to events, it may occasionally be closed. For example, it was closed on Saturday, March 22 at noon and Thursday, March 27 at 6 pm. It is also the most exclusive room at the library, so it isn't easily accessible without attending a wedding or private event.

Overall, the Austrian National Library, and particularly the State Hall, is a truly special place that is well worth a visit. You could spend hours exploring all that it has to offer, but even a quick 30-minute visit would be enough to savour the beauty and history of this unique location.

Museums

The Austrian National Library is a magical book trove in Vienna. The State Hall, built in the 18th century as part of the former Court Library, is a breathtaking 80 metres long and 20 metres high. The hall is intricately decorated with a dome, numerous frescoes, and four magnificent Venetian globes, each with a diameter of over one metre. You could spend an hour looking at the incredibly detailed paintings on the ceiling, or take a quick 30-minute run-through of the hall.

Beyond the spectacular State Hall, the National Library of Austria has several museums to visit, including the Literature Museum, Papyrus Museum, Globe Museum, Esperanto Museum, and the House of Austrian History. Each museum has its own individual opening times and ticket prices, and they offer discounted admission for students under 27, individuals doing military and civilian service, holders of an identity card for disabled persons, and friends of cooperating museums and organisations.

The Literature Museum is located in the Palais Mollard and showcases Austrian literary history through manuscripts, first editions, and personal objects of famous authors. The Papyrus Museum displays ancient Egyptian papyri and other artefacts, offering a glimpse into the daily life, religion, and language of ancient Egypt. The Globe Museum is home to a unique collection of terrestrial and celestial globes, atlas books, and related instruments, showcasing the development of cartography and geography over the centuries.

The Esperanto Museum is dedicated to the international language Esperanto and its history, with exhibits on the language's creation, spread, and impact on global communication. Finally, the House of Austrian History provides an in-depth look at the country's past, covering various aspects such as politics, culture, and everyday life. With so much to explore, you could spend weeks at the Austrian National Library and still not see everything.

Opening times

The Austrian National Library is home to over 200,000 tomes, frescoes, statuary, globes, and massive columns with gilded capitals. It also has several permanent exhibitions, including the Literature Museum, Papyrus Museum, Globe Museum, Esperanto Museum, and the House of Austrian History. There are also many temporary exhibitions that take place throughout the year.

The State Hall, built in the 18th century as part of the former Court Library, is a breathtaking 80 metres long and 20 metres high. It is intricately decorated with a dome and numerous frescoes, including a massive one of the deification of the emperor, which you could spend an hour admiring.

The Library is open daily, with varying opening times for each exhibition. The State Hall is sometimes closed due to events, so it is worth checking the website before your visit.

Ticket prices also vary, with discounts available for students under 27, individuals doing military and civilian service, holders of an identity card for disabled persons, friends of cooperating museums and organisations, and members of the Association of the Friends of the Austrian National Library, among others.

Tickets

The State Hall is the most exclusive room at the library and isn't easily accessible without attending a wedding or private event. The hall is nearly 80 metres long and 20 metres high, with an elaborate dome, several frescoes, and four Venetian globes. The ceiling paintings, created from 1726 to 1730, depict the apotheosis, the “deification” of Emperor Charles VI. One review says that you could spend an hour looking at the incredibly detailed painting. Another review says that you could spend weeks at the library and not see everything.

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