My jaw dropped when I walked into the Prunksaal (state hall) of the Austrian National Library. Vast…read morevaulted domed ceilings illuminated by sunlight kept the atmosphere open and airy, wall to wall open shelving for books spanned upwards of two stories high. Ceilings blanketed in colorful frescos, marble columns and lacquered wooden cabinets trimmed with gold flourishes, ivory marble statues posed in life-like poses, ground level display cases featured special exhibits, contrasting colors of marble inlaid in patterns cover the floors,...I'm veering into run-on sentence territory and that's how my mind felt as my eyes flitted from one detail to the next.* Begun as an imperial treasure trove which included books and manuscripts of rulers, credit goes to the Duke of Albrecht (1350-95) for directing translations of Latin works into the country's language, and establishing a book illumination workshop at court. The oldest book now owned by the National Library is one from his collection, a Gospel Book written in gold letters and illuminated with bohemian book illustrations The current form of the building in Josefsplatz was initiated by Emperor Charles VI in 1722, and built by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach, following his father's designs, between 1723 and 1726, during the Baroque era, with interior and fresco decorations completed post 1730 or so. The Prunksaal is the main attraction though it's note when purchasing tickets that there are multiple museums in the same building of the Hofburg palace complex. These each have slightly different opening hours so best to check exactly when you plan to be there, as not all 4 may be open at the same time. Free for children under 19. - State Hall €11 for adults - Literature Museum €9 for adults - Papyrus Museum €6 for adults - Globe & Esperanto Museum €6 for adults My recommendation if you're in Vienna as a tourist and are interested in visiting multiple museums and/or attractions, is to do some research and purchase tickets via one of many bundled passes. If you are interested in all the museum above you can buy a single ticket on the library website for €21, valid for 7 days. There are also various museum and city passes which include admission here. Recommend about 30-40 minutes at the state hall (really just to stare at everything) and other museums are smaller. For more info: https://www.onb.ac.at/en/ https://www.onb.ac.at/en/opening-hours *It's funny because as much as I was uber impressed by this library, I only managed to take some very boring straight-on photos of the hall and ceilings, I think I was so intimidated by all the details I kept trying to capture them all in wider angle shots!

My friend and I visited the Prunksaal (State Hall) of the Austrian National Library when we were in…read moreVienna a week or so ago. It was beautiful, and I'm glad we included a visit to the State Hall on our Vienna itinerary. (FYI: There are several ticket options at the National Library - some that include access to museums - and a guided tour option as well. We chose the ticket that only allows access/entry to the State Hall.) The Austrian National Library is the largest library in Austria, with more than 12 million items in its collections. The library is a part of the Hofburg complex in Vienna, and its buildings date back to the 18th century. The State Hall is the library's central structure. Its filled with books (obviously), sculptures, statues of emperors, and frescos. It's really beautiful; I took tons of photographs. When we visited, the State Hall was also hosting a photography exhibit: "A Century in Pictures: Austria 1925-2025," which was incredible. My friend and I are pretty dedicated bibliophiles, so bookstores and libraries are our jam. We try to visit bookstores and libraries when possible on travels. But I think almost anyone visiting Vienna would enjoy a visit to this library: the architecture, the high ceilings, the art, the wood, the books... it's an incredibly beautiful space, with so much history, too.