Vienna’s Museum Quarter Passages: The Ultimate Guide

Located in the 7^th district, Vienna’s Museum Quarter passages are better known as the Museumsquartier. Surprising and artisitic, this is easily one of my favorite places in the city. The unique collective of arched passageways that traverse the area soar through the sky with eye catching prints.

The Museumsquartier commands attention. Traditional baroque architecture is updated with funky, modern art in a unique way that highlights the city’s past. However, this space manages to honor the past simultaneously captures an imaginative future.

Why visit Vienna’s Museum Quarter passages?

The artwork and installations in the buildings connected by Vienna’s Museum Quarter passages change frequently. These experimental spaces house galleries, temporary exhibitions, fashion shows, mixed media, digital arts, creative vending machines, commercial arts, and think tanks.

Even though Vienna’s Museum Quarter passages are surrounded by world class museums, these artistic tunnels function as destinations in their own right. Seriously, just look up, because it’s pretty awesome.

Get to know the passages…

Located between Furstenhof and Mariahilfer Strabe, the Kabinett comic passage is bold and positively fabulous. A treat for the visual senses, this area takes up more than two exhibition halls that cleverly emphasize international comic art.

The Type in Vienna’s Museum Quarter passage deals with typography. Known as the “Micro museum for Design”, this area examines politically relevant writings that showcase how typography can work to either help or hinder content. Going beyond the fusing of form with function, this exhibition explores how design might influence the narrative of what a reader is processing.

Designed by French street artist Invader, the Street Art Passage Vienna is pretty self-explanatory. It is directly inspired by the city’s street art, so the result is something you have likely seen in any major city, just elevated a bit. Fun fact, every time a new exhibition graces this passage, Bentonblumen Magazine rolls out a new issue.

The Literature passage presents different authors with an emphasis on young writers. Keeping in step with the rest of the space, this area grants you access to mini museums spread throughout the Vienna’s Museum Quarter passages.

The Tonspur passage exquisitely depicts sound, as perceived in a visual way. A bit futuristic, there are elements of time dimensions and sound spatial components. The result is quite beautiful. 

Explore Vienna’s Museum of Natural History.

Of all of Vienna’s Museum Quarter passages, the Meteorite is the only one that provides a direct, albeit gorgeous link to the Museum of Natural History. While I am not a fan of taxidermy, this building was too stunning to resist going inside. Originally commissioned by Emperor Franz Joseph I, it was initially intended to be part of a larger project, an Imperial Forum. This venture was never completed; however, the architecture adorning the current museum is truly spectacular.

Overall: change is the only constant at Vienna’s Museum Quarter passages.

The only constant in an artistic world is change. Experimentation through artistry continually leads to thought provoking displays. Similar to a day trip from Vienna, these are ideal for a solo traveler so spend a few days losing yourself to creativity in Austria.