The famed art collection of the Prince of Liechtenstein went on permanent display in 2004 at the royal family’s erstwhile summer retreat, a splendid garden palace in the heart of Vienna’s 9th District. Some 1,600 paintings were returned here from Liechtenstein’s capital, Vaduz, almost 70 years after having been removed from the Viennese palace in response to the Nazi’s annexation of Austria in 1938.

Prince Karl I of Liechtenstein began collecting art in the 17th century. Each generation of Liechtenstein descendants have since added to the family’s treasures, building one of the most important private art collections in the world. Highlights comprise a staggering number of masterpieces by the Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens—including his great series of eight tapestry designs depicting the life of Roman hero Decius Mus—as well as works by Anthonis van Dyck and Frans Hals.

Today, the Liechtenstein museum is resplendent, thanks to painstaking renovations of the palace’s magnificent Baroque architecture and careful landscaping of its historic gardens. Don’t miss the amazing Hercules Hall with frescoes by Andrea Pozzo, or the handsome neo-classical library in the former princely apartments. After touring the grounds, stop off for coffee at Ruben’s Brasserie in the palace courtyard to soak in more of the museum’s magic.