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Belvedere, Vienna

Belvedere tips and photos posted by real travelers and Vienna locals.

the baroque castle of Prinz Eugen
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• 188 Reviews

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Belvedere: Belvedere
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  • mallyak
  • By mallyak on August 9, 2008
  • Vienna Page by mallyak
  • Upper Belevedere - Vienna
    Upper Belevedere
    by mallyak, 4 more photos
    The Belvedere is a baroque palace complex built by Prince Eugene of Savoy in the 3rd district of Vienna, south-east of the city centre.

    After buying the plot of land in 1697, Prince Eugene had a large park created. The Schloss Belvedere began as a suburban entertainment villa: in 1714 work began to erect what is now called the Lower Belvedere, not as a palace but as a garden villa, with an orangerie and paintings gallery, with suitable living quarters. The architect was Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt, one of the most important architects of the Austrian Baroque, who produced in the complex of buildings his masterwork. He was assisted by the Venetian sculptor Giovanni Stanetti, who had been brought to Vienna by Prince Eugene, with his atelier of assistants; now he also provided properly Italianate sculptural details, such as the figures along the balustrade and garden sculptures. The Lower Belvedere was finished in 1716. The ceiling of its central Marmorsaal ("Marble Hall"), painted by Martino Altomonte, celebrates Prince Eugene as a new Apollo, leader of the Muses. The room also contains an Apotheosis of Prince Eugene sculpted by Balthasar Permoser.

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    Belvedere: Upper Belvedere - Good bye Klimt.
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  • breughel
  • Updated By breughel on February 10, 2007
  • Vienna Page by breughel
  • Upper Belvedere - Vienna
    Upper Belvedere
    by breughel
    There are those who have visited the Upper Belvedere museum before March 2006 and have seen the Klimt's and those who came later and will not see them.
    You might have read about the case "Republic of Austria v. Altmann."
    In January 2006 an arbitration tribunal in Austria decided in favour of Mrs. Altmann and her fellow heirs, awarding them the five paintings. In addition to "Adele Bloch-Bauer I" from 1907 they include a second portrait of Adele (Bloch-Bauer II), from 1911, and three landscapes: "Beechwood" (1903), "Apple Tree I" (circa 1911) and "Houses in Unterach on Lake Atter" (1916).
    These Klimts are no more at the Belvedere but are in the USA.
    The masterpiece "Adele Bloch-Bauer I" was sold to the Neue Galerie in New York of Ronald Lauder for a reported US $135 million.
    The 4 others were sold by Christie's New York on November 8th, 2006 to private collectors at prices between 30 and 88 million USD.

    The Austrian government received wide criticism for its failure to have secured a deal with Maria Altmann.
    Fortunately, the Upper Belvedere has other Klimt's and many good paintings from the 19th and 20th century.
    And for those who don't like paintings the architecture of the Belvedere, the terraces, the gardens and the ornamental pond are so nice that one might forget the Klimt's.

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    Belvedere: Belvedere.
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  • chiara76
  • By chiara76 on November 10, 2005
  • Vienna Page by chiara76
  • Lower Belvedere in Vienna. - Vienna
    Lower Belvedere in Vienna.
    by chiara76, 4 more photos
    Amazing baroque palace group. There are 2 palaces : Lower Belvedere and Upper Belvedere. Both palaces were projected in the begiining of XVIII century by Lukas von Hildebrandt. Between the facades of the Palaces you can see the nice garden projected
    in French style.

    Belvedere was built for the Prinz Eugen of Savoy who was the most famous commander military in Austrian's history.

    There is the Art Gallery in the Upper Belvedere now. You can see the works of Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele , Oskar Kokoschka there and others.

    In the Lower Belvedere there is a Museum of Baroque's Art and there are also a lot of works mostly Austrian artists of the turn of centuries XVII and XVIII.

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  • Directions: underground station : Karlsplatz
  • Website: www.belvedere.at
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    Belvedere: Royal Winter Palace
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  • BorneoGrrl
  • Updated By BorneoGrrl on September 4, 2006
  • Vienna Page by BorneoGrrl
  • The Kiss by Gustav Klimt - Vienna
    The Kiss by Gustav Klimt
    by BorneoGrrl
    The two magnificient palaces on the Belvedere grounds lie in the middle of a splendid park. They were constructed for Prince Eugene of Savoy by J.L. von Hildebrandt, a famous Baroque architect. Both palaces house museums featuring Austrian painting. In the lower palace the "Osterreichisches Barockmuseum" (Austrian Museum of Baroque Art) displays Austrian Art of the 18th century. In the upper palace you can visit the Austrian gallery with a collection of 19th- and 20th-century Austrian paintings

    My favourite experience in these beautiful palaces was not only the architecture but the extensive artwork available by many artists especially works from Gustav Klimt. The best in my opinion is "The Kiss" which is an amazing sight to behold. I normally see the prints on souvenirs & such but when I saw the real thing, it was breathtaking. You have to see it for yourself

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    Belvedere: Stunning palace
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  • By Fra.da. on August 15, 2007
  • Vienna Page by Fra.da.
  • Belvedere as it first appeared to me - Vienna
    Belvedere as it first appeared
    to me
    by Fra.da., 4 more photos
    The Belvedere was built by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt as summer palace of Prince Eugene, in 1714. The Belvedere is made up of two different buildings which are connected by beautiful English gardens.
    The Belvedere is one of the world's finest examples of Baroque architecture.
    You can visit the gardens for free, and from there you can take stunning pictures of the palaces. Gardens are also ideal for jogging, walking, relaxing, ...
    You can also visit the palace inside, where you can find a beautiful museum, with the world's largest collecion of Klimt paintings including "The Kiss".
    Admission tickets: 9,5 €; discount to 8 € if you show the metro ticket valid for 3 days (worth 18 €).

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    Belvedere: Belvedere Palace
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  • Dabs
  • Updated By Dabs on June 29, 2008
  • Vienna Page by Dabs
  • Upper Belvedere - Vienna
    Upper Belvedere
    by Dabs, 4 more photos
    Belvedere Palace is very close to Sudbahnhof near which we were staying so the 1st thing we did when we got to Vienna was walk over to the Palace to have a look. I thought it was a palace that you could visit on a tour but when we got there, it looked like the admission line was for the art museums that are housed in Lower and Upper Belvedere so we passed on visiting, it was just too nice of a day to be inside looking at art. From the photos it looks like the rooms are still very ornate but it seems like the primary reason to visit is the art.

    Lower Belvedere was built from 1714 to 1716, Upper Belvedere was started in 1721 and completed in 1723. The Palace was a gift from the Hapsburgs to Prince Eugene of Savoy, an Austrian military hero, who defeated the Ottomans in the late 17th century. The Prince used it as a summer home and apparently not totally thrilled with it's design he made many Baroque additions and improvements and filled it with his private art collection. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination sparked World War I, lived here from 1894 to 1914 when he was killed.

    If you are interested in visiting the museums, Lower Belvedere houses the Museum of Baroque Art, the Orangery is home to the Museum of Medieval Art and Upper Belvedere Gallery is 19th and 20th Century Austrian art including many paintings by Austrian painter Gustav Klimt.

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  • Directions: Lower Belvedere Rennweg 6 Closest U Bahn: Sudbahnhof, other options on attached website
  • Website: http://www.belvedere.at/
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    Belvedere: Belevedere -Wow
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  • BruceDunning
  • Updated By BruceDunning on November 12, 2007
  • Vienna Page by BruceDunning
  • long range view of upper Belvedere - Vienna
    long range view of upper
    Belvedere
    by BruceDunning, 4 more photos
    Two magnificent baroque mansions that face each other with sculpted grounds in between. Prince Eugene was the primary person to get this compound under construction during 1714-16 for the lower part and 1721-23 for the upper palace. It was his royal summer residence. It was used as the residence for the kings of Austria. Artworks were colelcted over the years and now are on display. Destroyed in WWI, they were restored. No Pictures inside--BUT you wish you could. The main palalce has a two story marble room with fresco ceiling, and many statues made of lead. The Gold room is the best to see with gilded carved woodwork and mirrors, adn statue of Prince Eugene.
    On the grounds are also a greenhouse, zoo, sphinx shelions, and sculptures around.

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    Belvedere: Belvedere Palace
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  • Henkster
  • Updated By Henkster on August 31, 2004
  • Vienna Page by Henkster
  • Belvedere in 2004 - all freshly painted - Vienna
    Belvedere in 2004 - all
    freshly painted
    by Henkster
    Since its thorough restoration, this castle has been breaking all attendance records. The Unteren Belvedere (lower Belvedere) , rather sober-looking, was completed in 1716 as the residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy, Austrian history’s most successful general. His art collection was housed here also. At present one can admire baroque art there. The magnificent Oberes Belvedere (upper Belvedere) was intended to be a State Palace and was fitted out by Emperor Joseph II as the imperial portrait gallery.
    Here you can now look at art from the 19th and 20th centuries displayed in the Österreichische Galerie.

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    Belvedere: Belvedere Museum
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  • Krumlovgirl
  • By Krumlovgirl on December 16, 2004
  • Vienna Page by Krumlovgirl
  • Belvedere - Vienna
    by Krumlovgirl
    There are two palaces on the Belvedere grounds and both lie in the middle of a really nice park. They were constructed for Prince Eugene of Savoy by J.L. von Hildebrandt, a famous Baroque architect. When they were first built, they were still located outside Vienna's city limits, but today they are a part of Vienna`s 3rd district which is not far away from the center. The Palaces' architecture and interior design are typical for Rococo style.

    Today, both of the palaces are museums featuring Austrian painting. In the lower palace the Austrian Museum of Baroque Art displays Austrian Art of the 18th century. In the upper palace you can visit the Austrian gallery with a collection of 19th- and 20th-century Austrian paintings. There, you can find works of artist of the Secession movement such as Gustav Klimt (1867-1918), Egon Schiele (1890-1918) or Oskar Kokoschka (1886-1980).

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    Belvedere: Upper Belvedere
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  • Cristian_Uluru
  • Updated By Cristian_Uluru on January 7, 2005
  • Vienna Page by Cristian_Uluru
  • Upper Belvedere - Vienna
    Upper Belvedere
    by Cristian_Uluru
    The Upper Belvedere was erected in 1721-22 like pavilion for the festivities. At the end of 1700 was arranged the imperial collection of art. From 1904 to 1914 it was residence of the archduk Francisco Ferdinand, hereditary prince, assassinated to Sarajevo. In 1955 was signed the Osterreichischer Staatsvertrag, corporate charter of the Republic of Austria who put aim to the ally occupation. The palace has two monumental facades with more pavilions and bodies; the one toward the garden is characterized from the balcony to three arched on double columns of the body centers, from the balustrade with statues and from the octagonal pavilions to the extremity of the wings.Two lateral courtyards give approached the posterior garden, witha great bathtub, on which this points out the beautiful income of honor, with a shape made with glasses, preceded from two symmetrical widths rampe with perron in its centers and adorned with sphinxes and horses. From the posterior garden, on the left, there is the Alpengarten, ancient alpine botanical garden, that its collects beyond 3600 different types of mountain flora, coming from all the world.
    Inside the Upper Belvedere, there is the main section of Galerie Des XIX und XX Jabrhunderts,
    that it offers an immense panorama on the Austrian art from the neoclassic period to today with the most beautiful painting of Klimt and Munch.

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