Library featuring frescoes by Daniel Gran on the themes of war and peace, in honor of Emperor Charles VI.
Among the "most beautiful temples of knowledge" of the Baroque period in Austria. Architectural jewel of the imperial residence, the library owes its Baroque magnificence to the master of the genre: Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. In the large ceremonial hall, one can discover Daniel Gran's frescoes on the themes of war and peace to the glory of Emperor Charles VI. The columns are reminiscent of those of Hercules and clearly express the emperor's aims for Gibraltar. In the centre, the statue of Charles VI must have made a strong impression on the first visitors to the site at the time. Stolen work cabinets are hidden behind shelves loaded with works. The library houses more than 200,000 volumes and some 8,000 incunabula written by hand before Gutenberg's invention of the printing press. Among its treasures are Johannes von Troppau's Gospel book (1389), Gutenberg's genesis and Peutinger's table, the ancestor of our geographical maps. The now national library also includes the music and photography collections and more than 17,615 periodicals.
Finally, the great national library houses the Esperanto Museum and the Papyrus Museum, and the third floor of the building houses the world's largest collection of globes. Among them, two magnificent Venetian globes from the Baroque period are visible, one terrestrial and the other celestial, measuring more than a metre in diameter
Further information
Opening time and information on NATIONAL LIBRARY
October to May: Tue-Sun. June to September: daily. 10am-6pm (Thursdays 9pm). Entrance fee for the ceremonial hall 10 €, reduced 7,50 €.
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Members' reviews on NATIONAL LIBRARY
Tickets on the website are cheaper than buying them at the box office if you are a budget tourist and want to save a little money.
Now, even though my girlfriend ADORED it, I would personally advise every traveler to first exhaust all the free options and then pay for tickets. Vienna is truly majestic.