MAK – Museum of Applied Arts

Emperor Franz Joseph I got things moving on March 7, 1863. He wanted an Austrian answer to London’s V&A to teach local makers how to build better things. It started small near the Hofburg in 1864, but by 1871, it moved into Heinrich von Ferstel’s neo-Renaissance brick masterpiece on the Stubenring. This was the first museum to claim a spot on the brand-new Ringstraße. Over the years, it swallowed up imperial carpet collections and expanded with a 1909 wing by Ludwig Baumann. By the late 20th century, the museum stopped looking backward and started embracing the avant-garde, solidifying its reputation as a global design heavyweight.

Start with the Vienna 1900 galleries. It’s a masterclass in the Jugendstil and Secessionist movements that redefined the city between 1890 and 1938. You'll find the legendary tableware and furniture of the Wiener Werkstätte that still look modern a century later. Then, head to the Asia collection. The contrast is brilliant. You've got fragile Japanese woodblock prints and Chinese porcelain that fundamentally altered how European designers saw the world. Don't skip the chair collection either. It features the Thonet Model No. 14 from 1859. You’ve sat in versions of this steam-bent wooden icon in coffeehouses across the globe, but seeing the original is something else. From Biedermeier desks to rare global textiles, the museum proves that even a salt shaker carries the DNA of its era.

Go straight for the Klimt. His nine preparatory drawings for the Stoclet Frieze are the museum's undisputed heavy hitters. These gilded, massive cartoons for a Brussels dining room are the peak of Symbolist genius. After that, hit the MAK Design Lab. It’s 2,000 square meters of high-concept space that puts 19th-century tools next to digital prototypes. It’s meant to make you think about how design solves (or creates) modern problems. Keep an eye out for contemporary interventions too. The museum lets artists like Donald Judd and Franz West mess with the historical vibe. West’s twelve funky sofas in the halls aren't just for show. Sit on them. Use them. It’s a reminder that this isn't a tomb for dead art but a living space for new ideas.

Heinrich von Ferstel’s building is as much of a draw as the art inside. Completed in 1871, its Italian neo-Renaissance brickwork and terracotta details scream civic ambition. Walk into the Columned Main Hall and look up. The painted ceilings are incredible. They feel more like an Italian palazzo than a Viennese institution. If the atrium looks familiar, you might have seen it on 'Vienna Blood' (it’s a favorite for period film crews). For the best view, come back after dark. American artist James Turrell installed 'MAKlite' in 2004, a permanent light setup that makes the exterior pulse with color. It’s the perfect metaphor for the place: a 19th-century shell with a high-tech, contemporary heart.