Each October, Vienna’s multitude of museums fling open their doors and welcome visitors after dark. The Long Night of Museums has become one of the most popular cultural events in Europe, with almost 500,000 locals and international visitors heading to Vienna to check out the event last year.
To be held this year on 1 October from 6pm to 1am, the Long Night of Museums requires just one ticket, which will give you access to all of the museums, exhibitions and attractions that are taking part in the event. Much of the rest of the country has joined in too – with 680 institutions across Austria throwing open their doors to welcome visitors for this event in 2010.
The main aim of the Long Night of Museums is to interest visitors in the cultural programme on offer in Austrian museums. As well as museum entry, there will be readings, artist talks, discussion groups, music, special culinary offers, magic shows, dance and special guided tours of collections included in the ticket price.
Many of Vienna’s museums are located in the MuseumsQuartier (pictured), which opened in 2001. It houses the Leopold Collection, the MUMOK (Museum of Modern Art), the KUNSTHALLE (Arts Centre), the Museum of Art History, the Museum of Natural History, the Mozart Museum, the Crime Museum and the Zoom Children’s Museum.
The space also offers great cafes and open spaces – including the beautiful Maria Theresien Platz (the square of Maria Theresa) in which locals come to relax. During the Long Night of the Museums, shuttle buses are laid on to transport people around the city.
Your bus rides are included in the ticket price. Pick up a ticket (for around £10) at all participating museums – they’ll be on sale from a month before the event kicks off. For children under 12, admission is free.
Vienna seems to specialise in “long nights”. It also hosts the annual Long Night of Music each July, where visitors and locals enjoy the sound of all music styles, from jazz to rock to pop, across eclectic venues in the city including classical concert halls, churches and wine bars.
Then there’s the Long night of Research in Vienna, where the universities of Vienna throw open their doors to the general public to allow them to view their latest work. There is even the Long Night of Churches in Vienna, when the symbol of Vienna – Stephansdom (St. Stephen´s Cathedral) is open for visits at night.
Vienna may be the city of Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn and Schubert – but it’s also a modern-day metropolis, buzzing with great eateries, cosmopolitan shopping and beautiful natural scenery.
With almost half the city’s expanse given over to parkland and the Vienna Woods offering great hiking opportunities, Vienna’s got something to suit all styles.
