Austrian National Library

The Austrian National Library inside the Vienna Hofburg is the country's central research library and a direct descendant of the imperial Habsburg court library, with holdings reaching back into the 14th century. Its centrepiece is the State Hall, an 80-metre baroque gallery designed by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and his son Joseph Emanuel, opened in 1726 and frescoed by Daniel Gran. Beneath the dome a statue of Emperor Charles VI stands among globes and leather-bound folios. The library also houses the Papyrus Museum, the Globe Museum, the Esperanto Museum and a literature museum. The modern reading room on Heldenplatz is open to any visitor with a day pass, and the State Hall can be visited on a separate ticket.