Built as the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy, the brilliant military commander who served the Habsburgs, the Belvedere is among the finest baroque ensembles in Europe. Designed by the architect Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt, it comprises two palaces, the Lower Belvedere completed by 1716 and the grander Upper Belvedere finished in 1723, linked by a formal terraced garden that descends between them. The Upper Belvedere, conceived less as a home than as a stage for receptions and display, now houses the greatest collection of Austrian art, spanning the medieval period to the present. Its star attraction draws visitors from around the world, the largest grouping of paintings by Gustav Klimt, including his shimmering golden icon The Kiss, alongside works by Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka and international names such as Monet and Van Gogh. After Prince Eugene death the complex passed to the Habsburgs, and the Upper Belvedere became one of the first public museums in the world when the imperial collections were shown there in the late eighteenth century, an early step in the democratisation of art. The palaces themselves are works of art, with the Sala Terrena, the grand staircase and the two-storey Marble Hall displaying the full theatrical splendour of the baroque, while the garden, dotted with fountains, statues and clipped hedges, frames a famous view of the city skyline. The Lower Belvedere and the former Orangery now stage temporary exhibitions, complementing the permanent collection above and giving repeat visitors fresh reasons to return. Listed as a Unesco World Heritage site, the Belvedere sits just south-east of the historic centre, easily reached by tram, and ranks among the essential sights of Vienna. The museums open daily, with timed tickets advisable in peak season, and a combined pass covers both palaces and Belvedere 21, so a full day can take in baroque architecture, golden Klimt and contemporary art together. Prince Eugene, a small man of immense ability who rose to become the most celebrated general of his age, poured the rewards of his victories into this palace, filling it with art and exotica that announced his standing among the European elite. The garden between the two palaces, with its cascades, sphinxes and clipped parterres, was designed as a symbolic ascent, and the view from the upper terrace across the formal beds to the spires of the inner city remains one of the classic images of Vienna.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: Prinz-Eugen-Strasse 27, Vienna, Austria

Telephone: +43 1 795 57 0

Website: https://www.belvedere.at

Opening Date: 01/01/1723