Places of Interest in Vienna

Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments
(Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente)

Neue Berg, Heldenplatz, A-1010, Wien, Tel: 525 244471, Website: www.khm.at, U-Bahn: Herrengasse

If you’re a lover of musical instruments, then Vienna can boast one of the finest displayed collections in the world (with a large number having belonged to inspirational composers and musicians through the centuries). As with other museums in Vienna, this collection has evolved from one started by the Habsburgs. The main champion in this instance was Archduke Ferdinand of Tyrol who acquired many of the country’s most valuable instruments.

A sizeable number of pieces on show are extremely ornate and beautifully crafted, with some dating back to the fifteenth century. As well as familiar instruments such as violins and pianos, there are more obscure ones such as spinettos and a clavicytherium (instruments which we’d certainly never encountered before).

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