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Vienna: Upper Belvedere & Permanent Collection Entry Ticket
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Of all the sumptuous palaces in Vienna, Belvedere Castle (Schloss Belvedere in German) is a white fly: it was not the Habsburgs who built it but Prince Eugene of Savoy, a condottiere in the service of Austria who distinguished himself in the fight against the Turks.
So beautiful was Prince Eugene’s summer residence that Maria Theresa of Austria decided to buy it on the prince’s death, bringing this architectural treasure into the Habsburgs’ already rich patrimony: they certainly couldn’t miss out on one of the most beautiful Baroque palaces in the world…
Today, this sumptuous architectural complex has been entirely consecrated to art and its rooms have become prestigious exhibition halls that together constitute the world’s largest collection of Austrian art.
The star of the collection is Gustave Klimt’s famous Kiss: you have already seen it in countless posters, postcards and reproductions, now come and admire it in a location that does justice to its priceless artistic value.
Belvedere Castle comprises two separate palaces, both designed by the famous Baroque architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt and connected by a large garden.
The first palace, known as the Lower Belvedere, was built between 1712 and 1716 and included the prince’s private rooms.
The orange grove dates back to these same years, an ingenious greenhouse for the time that allowed the orange trees to be kept indoors during the winter so that they could be warmed and then opened during the summer. The trees were later moved to Schönbrunn Palace, while the elegant building remains and is now used for temporary exhibitions.
A second building known as the Upper Belvedere was added to the Lower Belvedere between 1721 and 1723, which included the state rooms. Today, the two buildings both house a museum and can be visited separately.
The Belvedere Castle is the custodian of extraordinary artistic treasures and itself an architectural masterpiece. Impressive is the marble staircase leading to the halls of the Lower Belvedere, as well as the Marble Gallery, the Hall of the Golds and the Hall of the Grotesques, embellished with stuccoes, statues, frescoes and triumphal arches that recall the military success of the wealthy landlord.
The building is used for prestigious temporary exhibitions presenting Austrian art in a broader international context, such as retrospectives of major Austrian artists and thematic exhibitions exploring key movements and periods in Austrian art history.
The stables of the Lower Belvedere, where Prince Eugene’s horses once rested, have housed a permanent collection of medieval art that has been open to the public since 2007.
Even more sumptuous than the Lower Belvedere is the palace built later, designed as a display of Prince Eugene’s prestige and wealth. As early as 1770 it was converted into an imperial art gallery and soon opened to the public.
Today the Upper Belvedere houses the largest collection of Austrian art from the Middle Ages to the present day, boasting the most beautiful paintings by Gustav Klimt, significant works of Viennese Biedermeier art and masterpieces by the likes of Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka.
A section of the museum is dedicated to great international artists: on display are works by Vincent van Gogh, Max Beckmann, Edvard Munch and the French Impressionists Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Paul Cézanne.
Although the Upper Belvedere is most famous for works from the late 19th and early 20th century, the Baroque and Late Gothic masterpieces are also worthy of attention.
The Upper Belvedere houses what is undoubtedly the most famous work of Austrian art in the world: the Kiss, the famous art nouveau painting created by Klimt in 1908-1909 depicting two lovers locked in a passionate embrace.
It is the centrepiece of a collection of 24 works by Klimt, the most important in the world dedicated to the Austrian painter, tracing his artistic evolution and revealing his influences and legacy.
The works in the collection include the two masterpieces from the artist’s golden age – the aforementioned Kiss and Judith, a series of portraits of women, landscapes, allegorical themes, sketches and preparatory drawings.
No less interesting than the magnificent palaces and works of art preserved within them are the Belvedere Gardens, which together represent one of the finest examples of Baroque landscape architecture.
The main garden, which connects the Lower Belvedere and the Upper Belvedere, is in turn divided into three large terraces decorated with the typical elements of a Baroque-style park such as fountains and statues and characterised by the symmetry of elements such as flowers, stairs and water basins. Of great visual impact is the pond in front of the steps of the Upper Belvedere, on whose waters the splendid palace is reflected.
Used for strolling and conversation, the garden was designed as a further element of ostentation of Prince Eugene’s wealth, refinement and power.
More intimate and cosy is the Kammergarten, the prince’s private garden to the west of the Lower Belvedere; something unique is the Alpine garden, the oldest of its kind in Europe, which houses a historical collection of Alpine plants.
To visit Belvedere Castle, you can choose from several tickets.
If you are only interested in one of the two galleries, you can buy a single ticket for the Upper Belvedere or the Lower Belvedere.
If, on the other hand, you would like to see both, you can purchase a combined ticket, which you can choose from four options that also include exhibition venues that are not part of the Belvedere:
In addition to saving on the price, by buying the combi ticket you have the advantage that you can return as many times as you like in the 30 days following the first use.
Belvedere Palace is one of over 200 attractions included in the Vienna Card, the official tourist card of the city of Vienna. Available for 1, 2 or 3 days, the card entitles you to discounts on museums, monuments, tours, services, restaurants and shows; it also allows unlimited use of public transport.
Discounts for Belvedere Palace are valid for both single and combination tickets.
Belvedere Palace is located in the southeast of Vienna and can be reached by tram, bus and city train. The recommended stops vary depending on whether you want to enter from the Lower Belvedere or the Upper Belvedere.
If you want to travel by underground, consider that the nearest station(Südtirolerplat) is a 15-minute walk away.
City Card allow you to save on public transport and / or on the entrances to the main tourist attractions.
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