Belvedere
The large palace complex Belvedere in Vienna was built in the early 18th century. The palace was designed by the architect Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt for Prince Eugene of Savoy, the great commander of that time.
The complex includes two majestic palaces – Upper and Lower Belvedere, both built in the style of Baroque. The luxury baroque ensemble is surrounded by the picturesque Alpine garden, sculptures and fountains. When flowers bloom, the territory of the park is being covered with unique flower patterns.
Lower Belvedere with the living rooms of Prince Eugene, as well as state rooms were built in 1716. Marble Hall with frescoes of Altomonte Martino, the Hall of Grotesques, and Orangery are of particular interest.
Upper Belvedere was built in 1722. The palace was the main masterpiece of Hildebrandt and the Prince’s residence. The richly decorated main staircase, chapels painted by Francesco Solimena, Marble Hall with frescoes of Carlo Carlone, and amazing mouldings emphasise all the beauty and luxury of the palace. Nowadays, paintings of the 19th–20th centuries are kept in Upper Belvedere. Among its collections you can see the most famous works of Claude Monet, Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele, as well as contemporary artists and Viennese representatives of the Biedermeier style. One of the most valuable paintings presented in the gallery is The Kiss of Gustav Klimt. Works of the sculptor Franz Xaver Messerschmidt are of particular interest too.
Belvedere in Vienna is one of the most beautiful and most famous architectural monuments in the world, which houses the rich heritage of art. You can visit the palace complex daily from 10am to 6pm. On Wednesdays, Lower Belvedere and Orangery are open until 9pm. Ticket price is about €19; persons under 18 years old are free.
You can get to Belvedere by public transport from Vienna: to Upper Belvedere you should use the tram line D – get off at Schloss Belvedere Station, tram 18 or O – to Quartier Belvedere Station, as well as bus of the line 69A to Quartier Belvedere Station, Underground U1 – to Südtirolerplatz; to Lower Belvedere you should use the tram line D or 71 to Unteres Belvedere Station.