Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
- Austrian Museum of Applied Arts
- Secession Building
Photos & Highlights
- Marvel at stunning works of the Viennese Golden Age in this architecture tour
- Led by a local architect, scholar, or historian
Select a date
Tour Description
Notice: The 1900 Exhibition at the Museum of Decorative Arts will be closed from May 23rd to November 18th. During this period, your expert will replace the exhibition with a visit to the Beethoven Frieze at the Secession Building.
As the 1800s slipped away and a new century dawned, Viennese artists like Gustav Klimt and Otto Wagner envisioned a new aesthetic that broke with the past—naming their movement the Vienna Secession. During this 3-hour, immersive Vienna architecture tour with a local historian or architect, we'll explore Art Nouveau and the birth of Modernism through the eyes of the creatives who made it happen.
As the 1800s slipped away and a new century dawned, Viennese artists like Gustav Klimt and Otto Wagner envisioned a new aesthetic that broke with the past—naming their movement the Vienna Secession. During this 3-hour, immersive Vienna architecture tour with a local historian or architect, we'll explore Art Nouveau and the birth of Modernism through the eyes of the creatives who made it happen.
\Vienna Secession
We'll begin our trip back in time to Vienna’s Belle Epoque with a visit to the Museum of Decorative Arts, which boasts a fantastic collection of early 20th-century furniture and design, including Gustav Klimt's preparatory drawings for one of his most famous paintings. Here, we'll discuss the social and economic context of Vienna in the first decade of the century, when industrial progress and global trade began unraveling the Austrian monarchical system. During our visit to the museum, we'll also encounter the work of architect Josef Hoffman and the Wiener Werkstätte, an artists’ collective focused on decorative arts.
Vienna Architecture of the Golden Age
Our tour will lean heavily on architecture to help us visualize the radical effects of the Vienna Secession, visiting some of the most important buildings from this period. Otto Wagner left a permanent mark on the city with masterworks like the Vienna post office, as well his subway entrances that rival the work of French Art Nouveau masters. We'll also take a ride on the subway, itself a product of this period and very reflective of the new emphasis on technology and functionalism.
Artistic Visionaries
Depending on time and interest, we may also include a visit to the Secession House, a major work of Jugendstil architecture that features Klimt's “Beethoven Frieze.” Originally conceived as an exhibition hall, this space allows us to consider the exchange of ideas between the avant-garde in various cities across Europe as the continent teetered on the edge of World War I. At the end of our time together, we'll have a deeper understanding of the history of Vienna’s 20th-century artistic revolutionaries and the climate in which they created some of their greatest works of art and architecture.
(Looking for a general overview of Vienna? Try our Vienna Walking Tour. Looking to explore a different era of history? We suggest our Schönbrunn Palace Tour).
Where You'll Start
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121 Reviews
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Piroska was a fantastic guide. She was informative and enthusiastic about the history of Vienna. In addition, she was great with our two children (11 and 9).
Rakesh
Reviewed on:
Aug 15, 2019
Excellent tour. Maybe a bit too long in the museum.
Joan
Reviewed on:
Aug 14, 2019
Your support service is fabulous. Twice, I was the one who messed up. First, I didn't enter my payment information correctly and didn't receive a confirm for the tour. When I emailed inquiring about the confirmation, I received an explanation immediately and I cleared up the issue. Two days before the tour, I couldn't find the confirmation on my phone, I emailed and received a repeat confirmation within minutes. This gave me such comfort and confidence in the organization.
Gilles was a wonderful guide. We threw him a curve by having already spent hours at the MAK, which was part of his agenda. He quickly made adjustments to his plans based on our specific interests. He was knowledgeable and personal. We recommend Gilles. I cannot think of an area which needs improvement.
Adrienne
Reviewed on:
Jun 28, 2019
