Built by Emperor Franz Joseph to house the splendid imperial collections, it is now one of the world’s most important museums. Artefacts from ancient Egypt to classical antiquity to the late 18th century document the patronage and connoisseurship of the art-loving members of the House of Habsburg. In the Picture Gallery you can see celebrated master-pieces by Rubens, Rembrandt, Raphael, Vermeer, Velázquez, Titian and Durer, as well as the world’s largest collection of works by Bruegel. At the Kunstkammer Vienna goldsmith’s works such as the famous saliera by Benvenuto Cellini, sculptural masterpieces, filigree works in ivory, valuable timepieces and complex automata by the best and most famous artists of the day – each item unique in the world – provide an unrivalled cross-section through the history of art. Equally enjoyable for every art-lover is the magnificent building itself with its imposing staircase featuring a series of paintings on which Gustav Klimt collaborated.