The Viennese Secession to visit
Manifesto building by Joseph Maria Olbrich, dome of golden laurels, contemporary exhibitions and Beethoven Frieze by Klimt: here's how to look at this place without reducing the visit to a simple facade photograph.
Yes, the visit is definitely worth the detour
The Secession is neither a traditional Klimt museum nor a frozen monument. It is still an artists' association and a contemporary exhibition space. The Beethoven Frieze, installed in the second basement, constitutes its great permanent historical treasure.
The best route starts outside. Look at the white volumes, dome, motto and carved details before entering. Then browse the current exhibitions, then descend towards the frieze. This transition from the bright building to the more intimate wall cycle gives meaning to the visit.
Take the outside tour
Facade, motto, dome, owls and rear of the building.
See the exhibitions
The contemporary program is an essential part of the identity of the place.
Read the frieze
Follow the three walls from left to right as a quest for happiness.
Extend on foot
Naschmarkt, Karlsplatz, Opera or Belvedere depending on your day.
An architectural manifesto placed in the city
Completed in 1898 by Joseph Maria Olbrich, then barely thirty years old, the building combines almost austere geometric volumes with organic decoration. The white cube is not the opposite of ornament: it serves as its setting.
The front facade
A very axial entrance, almost bare walls and a golden mass that seems to float above the four pylons.
The laurel dome
Thousands of golden metal leaves and berries form an openwork sphere, colloquially compared to a cabbage head at the time of the inauguration.
The portal
Othmar Schmikowitz contributed to the sculpted decoration, while Georg Klimt, brother of Gustav, designed the copper cladding of the doors.
"To each era its art, to art its freedom"
Der Zeit ihre Kunst. Der Kunst ihre Freiheit. The motto sums up the refusal to subject living art to the academic tastes of the past.
Olbrich repeats the square in plan, elevation and volume combinations.
The three masks at the entrance symbolize architecture, sculpture and painting.
Inspired by drawings by Kolo Moser, they refer to Pallas Athena, wisdom and the arts.
An association of artists, not just a style
In 1897, Klimt and his companions left the conservative association of the Künstlerhaus. Their ambition is not to impose a new decorative formula, but to obtain the freedom to exhibit the newest Austrian and international art.
Secession Foundation
Gustav Klimt becomes its first president. The association wants to open Vienna to European research and abolish the hierarchy between fine and applied arts.
Construction in six months
The foundation stone is laid on April 28; the building was completed on October 29. Karl Wittgenstein is among the main financial supporters.
XIV Beethoven exhibition
Twenty-one artists work under the direction of Josef Hoffmann around the statue of Max Klinger. Klimt paints his frieze for a set designed as a total work of art.
War damage
The building was bombed and then burned. Several restorations will then attempt to regain its proportions and decor.
Return of the frieze
A specially air-conditioned underground space is created. Since 1986, the Beethoven Frieze has been on permanent loan from Belvedere.
Modernization
The technical renovation notably improves barrier-free access to the frieze room and allows the dome to be restored.
The Beethoven Friesland in three walls
Approximately 34 meters long and 2.15 meters high, the frieze transposes into images an interpretation of the Ninth Symphony by Richard Wagner. Its real subject is not the portrait of Beethoven, which does not appear, but the human quest for happiness.
The correct method is to read it as a story: desire and suffering on the left wall, confrontation with hostile forces on the central wall, redemption through the arts and love on the right wall.
The aspiration for happiness
Floating geniuses carry desire. Suffering humanity implores an armored knight, supported by ambition and compassion.
Hostile forces
Typhaeus, a gigantic monkey with the body of a snake, brings together the Gorgons, illness, madness, death, lust, excess and rodent sorrow.
The arts and the kiss
Poetry opens the ideal realm. The chorus of angels leads to the embracing couple: "This kiss to the whole world", echoing the Ode to joy.
This is no ordinary mural
Klimt combines casein colors, stucco reliefs, pencil, glass and mother-of-pearl applications, as well as gold highlights on mortar.
Get as close as the safe distance allows. Flat areas then become physical objects: mirrors, reflections, reliefs and changes in texture animate the light. This experiment marks Klimt's entry into his golden period.
Seven details not to be missed
1. Floating geniuses
Their light bodies trace a continuous movement above the scenes. They are less characters than the visible form of desire.
2. The knight's knees
The armor stiffens the figure and contrasts it with the curved, vulnerable or sensual bodies around it.
3. Encrusted eyes
In Typhaeus and the Gorgons, looks almost become hostile jewels, detached from anatomy.
4. Rodent grief
This thin figure, packed in front of Typhaeus, condenses psychological suffering with a brutal economy of means.
5. Poetry
The lyre and the calm verticality of the figure introduce a transition: the combat ceases, the arts take over.
6. The frontal choir
Repeated faces become sound architecture. Klimt translates music through the rhythm of lines and heads.
7. The final couple
Don't just look for precedent Kiss. See above all how the embrace closes the story begun thirty-four meters earlier.
Counseling
Take a first turn without reading the cartels, then a second by following the story. The frieze benefits from being seen twice.
Times, tickets, access and best time
Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Usual closure on Monday.
Adult rate verified in July 2026. Over 65 years old: €10. Under 26s, schoolchildren and people with disabilities: €7.50. Under 26s, schoolchildren and people with disabilities: €7.50. Under 12: free.
Entrance is free every first Wednesday of the month according to the "Freie Kunst für Alle" program. Expect more attendance.
Metro U1, U2 or U4. The building is located near the Naschmarkt, a few minutes from the Opera.
Saturday at 11 a.m. in English and 2 p.m. in German, with an announced supplement of €3 excluding ticket.
€3 at the normal rate; announced free with the Vienna City Card. The musical device of the frieze can also be listened to with your own phone.
The frieze room and most of the spaces are accessible. A lift is located to the left of the entrance; ring or call reception if necessary.
Come to the opening during the week to look at the frieze more calmly. The first few hours are generally more suited to slow observation.
Prior reservation required from 10 people. The maximum size announced is 25 participants.
Before leaving
Check it out official information and prices page and the exhibition program. During editing, access may be limited to the Beethoven Frieze.
What to see around the Secession?
Naschmarkt
Just behind the building. Ideal for a break, but very busy at lunchtime.
Karlsplatz and Otto Wagner
The metro pavilions perfectly complement the visit with another expression of Viennese modernity.
Academy of Fine Arts
Located just opposite, it allows you to compare the secessionist break with academic tradition.
Albertina
About fifteen minutes walk, for drawings and large graphic art collections.
Belvedere
The major complement for Klimt: The kiss, Judith and the emblematic portraits.
Leopold Museum
At the MuseumsQuartier, to extend towards Egon Schiele, Koloman Moser and Vienna 1900.
Explore Klimt and the Viennese Secession
Gustav Klimt
Portraits, landscapes, golden details and symbolist works.
CollectionGolden period
Gold, mosaic, figures and precious surfaces.
CollectionSecession and Art Nouveau
Turn of the century artists and motifs.
ReproductionThe Kiss, detail
The embrace that became Klimt's most famous image.
Visit the Secession without any unpleasant surprises
Where is the Viennese Secession located?
Friedrichstrasse 12, 1010 Vienna, near the Naschmarkt and Karlsplatz. Lines U1, U2 and U4 serve Karlsplatz station.
What are the times?
Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. according to official information verified on July 27, 2026. Consult the site before your visit.
How much does entry cost?
The standard adult ticket is announced at €13 in July 2026. Discounts exist and entry is free for children under 12 years old.
Is the Beethoven Frieze still visible?
It is permanently presented in the second basement, on loan from Belvedere. An exceptional technical closure always remains possible.
How much time should you allow?
Approximately 60 to 90 minutes for the building, contemporary exhibitions and the frieze. A visit focused solely on the frieze can last 30 to 45 minutes.
Can we visit for free?
The Secession announces free access on the first Wednesday of each month. Check the official calendar and plan for more crowds.
Is the building wheelchair accessible?
The frieze room and most of the spaces are accessible. A lift is installed to the left of the entrance; reception can help use it.
Does the Beethoven Frieze represent Beethoven?
No. It translates an interpretation of the Ninth Symphony into a quest for happiness; the composer himself does not appear there.
Prepare and deepen the visit
Timetables, prices, guided tours, accessibility and transport.
Secession · The buildingOlbrich, construction, symbols, typology and restorations.
Secession · Beethoven FriezeHistory, iconographic program and exhibition of 1902.
Secession · ExhibitionsContemporary program and possible assembly phases.
Gustav Klimt DatabaseDimensions, technique, studies and context of the frieze.
Belvedere · CollectionMaterials, inventory and origin of Hostile Forces.
Practical information verified on July 27, 2026. Hours, prices and exhibitions may change.
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