We sent US fashion and lifestyle photographer Kara Mercer on a road trip through Austria, armed with a camera and her discerning eye. This photo essay takes you on a visual tour through her perspective!

One of two twin museum buildings, the “KHM” spans art from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Some frescoes in its opulent entrance hall were painted by none other than Gustav Klimt. Get the best vantage point on the broad marble stairs that lead to the Picture Gallery. 

The most impressive collection of impressionist and expressionist art in Austria takes up permanent post inside the Albertina. The palace-building-turned-museum houses works by Picasso, Monet, and Degas. Upstairs, well-preserved Habsburg-era state rooms dazzle with gem stone coloured wall coverings.