Thursday Nights at Vienna's Museum of Fine Arts

by Annie Scott (RSS feed)
Feb 21st 2010 at 3:01PM

One thing you mustn't miss in Vienna is the Museum of Fine Arts. The building is so astonishing, one assumes it was originally a palace of some kind -- but the Viennese were wise and appreciative of art; the building was built to house the great many collected (and stolen) masterpieces of the Austrian Empire. Their wisdom continues today: they have a delightful Thursday night program for both tourists and locals to enjoy the art and each other.

Thursday nights at Vienna's Museum of Fine Arts are catered by Gerstner, one of Austria's finest caterers (and perhaps one of the world's). Purchase a 48 euro ticket in advance to gain admission to both the museum and a roped off area in the center of the museum where you can feast on appetizer and dessert buffets, as well as be served your choice of delicious entree. Drinks are not included, but plenty are available, from spirits to Viennese wine, and the staff is attentive and friendly. The best part of all this is that you can dine at your leisure from 6:30 to 10:00 PM and visit the various exhibits between courses.

Have a bowl of bisque and a glass of champagne, visit the Bruegels, munch on a Caprese salad, visit the Raphaels, order a bottle of red and a delicious filet, go see the Rubens, choose a few little desserts, then see more by Velazquez, Dürer, Titian, Tintoretto and others. Doesn't that sound like the best way to spend a Thursday evening? Personally, I'd have trouble topping that.

Visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum website for more information on the Gerstner Art & Delight Evening Buffet.

Gallery: Kunsthistorisches Museum - Vienna's Museum of Fine Arts