Renowned for its zoological and anthropological holdings, this museum offers the scientific perspective of the extensive imperial collections. Many of the specimens displayed in the late 19th-century wood-panelled halls date from Austria’s ambitious research and colonial expeditions, including the Colombian emerald presented to Hernán Cortés by Aztec ruler Montezuma, several stuffed extinct species, and the oldest human-carved statuette ever found. Unless you’re a mineralogist, start on the second floor and work your way down—the dinosaurs, animals and special exhibitions are upstairs.
