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Education & School

Our programme for secondary level II Upper school, Technical school and Vocational school

Critically engaging with history through art: What do Baroque paintings have in common with horror films? Why are there so few works by female artists in the museum? What did the Habsburg family collect – and why? And what isn’t on display in the museum? Together with our art educators, students explore the historical context of artworks, trace artistic developments, and draw connections to the present day.

Reading art critically: Guided tours for secondary level II

Observe, connect, question – a deeper engagement with art in the museum

All guided tours for young people are dialogue-based and inclusive. Students are encouraged to find personal points of connection to artworks from past centuries and to take a critical stance of their own.

Please book at least 2 to 3 weeks in advance.

Request now

Depending on the chosen topic, your tour will last approximately 50 or 90 minutes.

Each tour can accommodate up to 25 students.
For groups with more than 25 students, parallel tours can be arranged.

Price per guided tour
approx. 50 minutes: €3 per person
Minimum charge per tour*: €39

approx. 90 minutes: €4,50 per person
Minimum charge per tour*: €58,50

*This means each tour is charged for at least 13 pupils.


Admission is free for students and 2 accompanying educators per group

Get creative: Studio sessions and workshops

From words to action – hands-on artmaking in the museum

Whether in the studio or the galleries, pupils are encouraged to get hands-on and let their imagination run free. They creatively reflect on what they’ve seen and are invited to try out new materials and techniques.

Our studio is very popular – we recommend booking as early as possible!

Request now

Our workshops and studio programs last either 90 or 120 minutes. 

A maximum of 28 students can take part in our studio programs and workshops.

Price per session

90 minutes: 
up to 14 participants: €60
15–28 participants: €120

120 minutes:
up to 14 participants: €80
15–28 participants: €160


Admission is free for pupils and 2 accompanying educators per group

Topic selection for secondary level II

What's there to see? These exciting themes are waiting for you!

Guided tour: 50 minutes
All collections
Raise the curtain! Highlight tour through a collection

Travelling back in time together: Do you want to discover pyramids in Ancient Egypt or meet ancient heroes? Want to discover the secrets of Renaissance and Baroque painters or marvel at precious objects made of gold, coconut, or ivory? Our art educators will introduce you to one of the museum's collections! In the Hofburg and Wagenburg, they reveal interesting facts about knightly fashion made of steel, specific musical instruments, imperial crowns, or vehicles in which the Habsburg family travelled by coach. 

Guided tour: 50 minutes
Kunsthistorisches Museum
The myths of antiquity: Ovid’s Metamorphoses

The exciting stories found in Ovid and other ancient authors are still well-known today. They deal with fateful encounters between irascible gods, courageous heroes, and dangerous hybrid creatures, in which Cupid, the god of love, usually has a hand! We will whisk you away into dramatic visual worlds full of deceit, transformation, and heartache.

Guided tour: 50 minutes
Kunsthistorisches Museum
The body in art – Ideals of beauty and role models

Have you ever wanted to slip into a different body? Fat or thin, tall or short, young or old – the human body has always been an important subject of art. The entire spectrum between desire and reality is reflected in the works of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. We will take a look at beauty ideals of the past and critically analyse the role models associated with them.

Guided tour: 50 minutes
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Totally social?! Wealth and poverty in art

Was everything different in the past? Join us in discovering exciting social phenomena that are still relevant today: Together we will follow the (often not so) simple life of a peasant family, meet a queen who was a true fashion victim, or learn about real ‘men's work’. We will also consider why the Habsburg family collected certain works of art and what these choices convey.

Guided tour: 50 minutes
Picture Gallery
Art history made easy: Renaissance and Baroque

Antiquity, Baroque, Middle Ages, and Renaissance – do you also get confused from time to time with all the names of and terms for the different art periods? In the Picture Gallery, we will work together to bring order to the jumble of terms: Find out more about the Renaissance, Baroque, and the period in between and learn which features were typical of different times and places.  

Guided tour: 50 minutes
Picture Gallery
How pictures tell stories: Picture composition for beginners

Paintings do not usually depict real events, but are products of the painter's imagination. But what makes a picture exciting? Which moment of a story is portrayed? How are figures and objects arranged on the surface? Together we will look for answers to these and similar questions by taking a close look at the composition of some famous paintings.

Guided tour: 50 minutes
Imperial Treasury
A piece of Europe – The Holy Roman Empire

Although the Holy Roman Empire lasted for over 900 years, it was not characterised by permanence: Its eventful history was marked by numerous ruling families, prince-electors, and wars. The impressive symbols of imperial power can be found today in the Imperial Treasury Vienna. Here you can find out how the Holy Roman Empire shaped Europe, and how a general from France brought it to its knees.

Workshop: 90 minutes
Imperial Carriage Museum
Strong women: Maria Theresa and Sisi

You probably know Maria Theresa and Empress Elisabeth aka Sisi! But did you know that Maria Theresa was also a tournament rider and not Queen, but King of Hungary? Or that Sisi practised a veritable cult of beauty in order to have a particularly narrow wasp waist? Dresses made of precious fabrics, as well as coronation and funeral carriages tell the story of the two women's journey through a world dominated by men. We will consider which roles were and are ascribed to women. We will also learn how to communicate with fans and climb aboard a real historical carriage.  

Education & schools – more programmes

Explore our programmes for other age groups