Vienna's National Library: The Hidden Gem of Austria

If you are ever in Vienna, wandering the cobblestoned streets surrounding the elegant Hofburg Palace, you'll probably have noticed some of the more popular sights: the noble Lipizzaner Horses, the mouth-watering delicacies of Austrian coffee houses (like Cafe Demel, which you can read about here), or the Sisi Museum located inside the palace, showcasing one of the most enchanting royal figures in Austrian history.

But there is one underrated feature of the immediate area that not many people know about, which boggles my mind because it is one of the most beautiful rooms I've ever stepped foot in. I'm talking about Vienna's National Library, and in particular, the State Hall.

The scale of Vienna's National Library State Hall is massive. 

It is easy to locate, as it is a part of the Hofburg Palace and neatly labeled, but it is also surprisingly nondescript and tucked away for something that stuns you with its beauty once you step inside. If you walk down Josefsplatz away from the Palace's main entrance, towards the Augustinerkirche, you'll find a small courtyard, and a set of double doors leading to the library (there is a sign, you just have to look for it). Admission to the State Hall is 8 Euro per person, but well worth the cost.

Originally part of the royal Court Library, the State Hall, or Prunksaal, was built in the 18th century in the most lush of baroque styles. When I say lush, I mean LUSH. I felt like I should be wearing a corset and crinolines in order to wander the hall properly.

Yes, this room is a library hall. But this is not like a library hall at your local university. This is a library hall fit for the grand empire that was the Hapsburg dynasty. For starters, the State Hall is massive at 80 meters long and 20 meters high. There is a giant dome in the centre, covered in frescoes and paintings fit to rival the Sistine Chapel.

Lots of marble columns, rich woods, and gold filigree make the State Hall ooze elegance.

In the centre of the State Hall, directly beneath the behemoth dome, stands a statue of Charles VI, the Hapsburg emperor who decided that he needed something a little more extraordinary for his book collection. Not wanting just anyone to make his dreams come to life, Charles VI hired Fischer von Erlach, the same architect who designed the impressive Sch⍥nbrunn Palace. And von Erlach outdid himself. 

Charles VI was the emperor who commissioned the construction of the State Hall.

Where to start? Let's start with the obvious - the books and their shelving. The heavy, wooden shelves span upwards from the floor to the lip of the dome. Gliding, metal ladders allow the historians and librarians to gain access to the over 200,000 tomes that rest upon the shelves. 

Bookcases filled with rare and valuable manuscripts line the State Hall.

And these aren't just any books. There are ancient volumes written in dead languages, letters from celebrities and great thinkers such a Sigmund Freud, old maps from early expeditions around the globe, and so much more. Many of the more rare documents are displayed in airtight showcases which line the main hall.

You can look, but please don't touch the priceless tomes! 

Speaking of globes, there are also large globes that double as art pieces to be found inside the State Hall - globes big enough to allow a full-grown adult to sit atop them, if that were acceptable, which it is not so please don't try it. These globes are very lovely, designed by a Franciscan friar named Vincenzo Coronelli. 

Beautiful globes the size of a full grown adult can be found in Vienna's State Hall.

The dome and all of its amazing frescoes are supported by thick, wooden and marble columns, decorated with beautiful carved details at the top. There is something very Roman about the hall, despite it being located in the middle of Austria.

Vienna's National Library State Hall is the most luxurious library I have ever set foot in.

Video and photography is allowed inside the State Hall, with NO flash please, as you can tell from the video that I made. The guard at the front will check your ticket, remind you of the no-flash policy, and ask that you keep your voices low to respect the other visitors to the library. Easy peasy - my mouth was hanging open in awe as I strolled through the hall, so there was no chance of me talking. 

The beautiful fresco inside the 20-meter high dome in the State Hall.

Beyond gaping at the incredible art and architectural features of the State Hall, there isn't too much more to do there. You can't touch the books, you can't climb the ladders, and like I said, you can't ride the globes. So give yourself about an hour to spend wandering the stacks and marvelling over what the State Hall has to offer before you decide you've seen enough and it's time to leave. 

Perhaps if my library in my hometown looked a little more like Vienna's National State Hall, I might spend more time in it!