Sigmund Freud Museum

This modest apartment on Berggasse preserved the rooms where Freud lived and worked for 47 years, developing psychoanalysis from 1891 until the Nazis forced him to flee in 1938. You'll see his actual consultation room with the famous couch (a replica, since the original went to London), his personal library filled with first editions, and family photographs covering every surface. The waiting room where patients like the Wolf Man sat nervously before sessions has been restored exactly as it was, complete with Persian rugs and antiquarian furniture.

The experience feels intimate and slightly eerie, walking through rooms where groundbreaking therapy sessions happened. His study overflows with ancient artifacts, books in multiple languages, and the desk where he wrote The Interpretation of Dreams. The audio guide (included) provides essential context, but you'll spend most time just absorbing the atmosphere of these cramped, book-lined rooms. Everything feels frozen in 1938, down to his hat hanging by the door.

Most visitors rush through in 30 minutes, but you need at least an hour to appreciate the detail. The €12 entry fee is reasonable for what you get, though don't expect interactive displays or modern museum techniques. Skip the basement exhibition about psychoanalysis history and focus on the actual apartment upstairs where the magic happened.