What do you hope to learn when you visit Europe? The continent is beautiful, certainly, but it’s also home to vast collections of historical artifacts, archaeological records and works of art. Whether you’re interested in the antiquities of Greece or want to better understand the devastation of World War II, there’s a museum for you.
Art and history are intertwined, and many of these museums could also be on a list of the best art museums in the world — a couple are on ours. Still, these museums stand out for the way they frame history, whether it’s a tragic moment like the Holocaust, a niche subject or a Sultan’s holdings from near and far.
1. British Museum: London
The British Museum provides a survey of the history of the world.
(Symeonidis Dimitri via Getty Images)
The British Museum is one of the best-stocked museums of global history. From African sculpture to Assyrian reliefs, its collections include pieces from all and sundry. Indeed, an afternoon spent wandering the museum’s halls is an opportunity to explore world history.
This is in no small part due to the country’s colonial history, in which British military might secured many important cultural treasures from other parts of the world, often against the will of the people of those cultures. The Parthenon Sculptures in the museum are a perfect illustration of the contested nature of this colonial history. Greece has long advocated for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures, even designating space for their repatriation in the Acropolis Museum in Athens, as NPR reports. However, the British Museum holds onto them, justifying the decision with a statement that also offers a thesis of just what the British Museum is all about.
The British Museum is free to enter, though donations are welcome. It’s a must-see if you’re visiting London.
2. The Vatican Museums: Rome
Where Christian antiquities live with costumes of the former Papal Court.
(Kyle Little via Getty Images)
European history and the history of the Vatican are forever intertwined. The Vatican Museums present some of the world’s most famous sculptures, paintings and frescoes, including Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel.
History buffs will appreciate how its remarkable collection of artifacts illuminates European and world history. While the museums primarily consist of art collections, they illuminate world history, with departments ranging from epigraphic collections to Egyptian antiquities and the armories of pontiffs past.
Tickets to the Vatican Museums are €20 at their standard rate. It should be noted: the Vatican Museums are very busy, so it’s important to book months in advance if you aim to visit.
3. National Archaeological Museum: Athens
Ancient Greece is dear to the Western canon, and this museum provides a rich survey of its cultural traditions and history.
(ivotheeditors via Getty Images)
Athens is a living city, yet there are open-air sections of it that date into antiquity. A walk through the central hills surrounding the Acropolis is remarkable. You can stub your toe on a stone, notice a placard and discover you’re standing beside a landmark cited in Herodotus’ Histories.
Athens’ National Archaeological Museum is the city’s preeminent history museum, with a collection that surveys ancient Greek history and offers insights into the various regions of modern Greece. For this reason, it’s a must-visit for history buffs, featuring artifacts from the Neolithic period through the Hellenic period and beyond.
However, it’s not the only world-class history museum in Athens. The Acropolis Museum, situated at the foot of the Acropolis, is also an exceptional museum that’s dedicated to the city’s great temple. It is housed in an ultra-modern building that’s exceptionally striking — and for this reason, it’s likely the more famous of the two.
Both museums are very much worth a visit; however, the National Archaeological Museum has the more comprehensive collection. Standard tickets to the National Archaeological Museum are €20.
4. Istanbul Archaeological Museums: Istanbul
Step into the Istanbul Archaological Museums for a new understanding of Ottoman history and the polarities of influence and power in European history.
(blackboard1965 via Getty Images)
With nearly a million artifacts from around the world, the Istanbul Archaeological Museums are a cluster of museums near the famous Topkapi Palace — an extraordinary history museum in its own right. The complex includes three main museums: the Archaeology Museum, the Tiled Kiosk Museum and the Museum of Ancient Orient.
The collection was formed in the 19th century. It demonstrates the breadth of the Ottoman Empire’s collections. Since they share the same park as the Topkapi Palace, the two compounds make a perfect pairing for a look into Ottoman history and beyond.
Tickets to the museum compound are €15. However, guided tours are available for more.
5. Musée de l’Histoire de France at Versailles: Paris
The palace that was once a living symbol of the opulence of France’s nobility became a warehouse and then a public museum.
(Gwengoat via Getty Images)
Versailles is a piece of history in its own right. A vast palace of over 2,000 rooms, ornate grounds and even the world’s first elevator, according to The Elevator History Project, its extraordinary decadence helped fuel the French Revolution.
Today, it also houses one of the world’s best collections of French history. Founded by King Louis-Philippe in 1837, the Musée de l’Histoire de France at Versailles exhibits French history up to the 19th century. It’s an exceptional look back in time and a must-see for anyone visiting Paris with an interest in the past.
A standard ticket to Versailles is €35.
6. Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum: Oświęcim
A devastating archive of atrocity, the Auschwitz-Birkenau preserves the most famous Nazi death camp, and exhibits its systemic brutality with an astonishing museum.
(Konoplytska via Getty Images)
History isn’t all Hellenic marble and ceremonial scepters; it also includes the darker moments. Auschwitz-Birkenau is an important memorial site for anyone who wishes to understand one of the twentieth century’s most vile moments. Near the beautiful city of Krakow, Poland, the original site of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp is preserved for visitors from around the world.
The site includes a staggering museum collection, recently highlighted in the award-winning film The Zone of Interest, as well as access to the grounds of Birkenau. Tours are recommended and are offered in multiple languages.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau site provides a deep education into the atrocities committed at the site and elsewhere. Free entry passes are available on the website. Tours are available for around zł150.
7. The Vasa Museum: Stockholm
Ever wondered what the maritime technology of the 17th century looked like? Find out at the Vasa Museum.
(Ricardo Jato de Evan via Getty Images)
Today, the rigging and sails that once moved ships around the world have been replaced by engines and propellers, but if you’ve ever been curious about what came before, The Vasa Museum is for you. It ushers visitors back in time to take a look at the ships of yesteryear: a 1628 Scandinavian warship, to be exact.
The Vasa warship is preserved in exacting detail, with its intricate woodwork and rigging intact. Beyond the warship itself, you’ll learn about Scandinavian maritime history and the workings of this critical oceanfaring technology from the 1600s.
A standard ticket to the Vasa Museum is 240 SEK.
8. Naturhistorisches Museum and Kunsthistorisches Museum: Vienna
Facing each other across a park, Vienna’s two museums present numerous takes on history, archaeology, evolution and art.
(Mindaugas Dulinskas via Getty Images)
Vienna’s eminent archives, the Naturhistorisches Museum and the Kunsthistorisches Museum, are treasures of Austrian history, art, artifacts and natural history. The two museums face each other across a square and house Habsburg collections that date back to the 16th century, highlighting the immense wealth of the Habsburgs. The Kunsthistorisches was officially opened in 1891.
Like the Musée de l’Histoire de France at Versailles or the Vatican Museums, this complex blends art, history and cultural artifacts under one roof. At the Kunsthistorisches, you’ll be able to see classics by Bruegel and other masters. However, the museum has much more than famous paintings, such as a history of money presented through collected coins and medals, a collection of arms and armor and ancient musical instruments.
The Naturhistorisches Museum has permanent collections of natural history, earth science, anthropology and prehistory. Go for the fossils, exhibits on protozoan life and rotating exhibitions.
Standard tickets to the Naturhistorisches Museum are €18, and tickets to the Kunsthistorisches Museum start at €22.
