Register today! | Already registered? Sign in

traveldk.com

from Eyewitness Travel Guides: the world's bestselling travel guides
  • Personal guide
  • Open
Member image

Vienna : The Belvedere

Submit an attraction

Make sure your favorite shops, restaurants, hotels and more are listed.

Submit an attraction illustration
WIN WIN WIN

Win a Garmin GPS!

Garmin sat nav
Download a podcast

Free podcasts Pick up a free podcast for Paris.

Join our free monthly newsletter

Advertisement

The Belvedere

No one has rated this yet.
Rate it
  • Review this attraction
  • Prince Eugen of Savoy, the most celebrated of the Habsburg generals due to his defeat of the Turks in 1683, commissioned the two Belvedere Palaces (Upper and Lower) with the money he received as a reward for his victories during the Spanish Succession. The payment allowed him to carry out one of the most ambitious building projects ever undertaken by a private individual. The palaces were built by Lukas von Hildebrandt in 1714–23 as a summer residence for the prince and are a shining example of Baroque style.

Top 10 Features
  • 1. Orangery

    The Orangery houses the Museum of Austrian Medieval Art and contains Gothic and Renaissance masterpieces, including the Stummerberg Crucifix, the oldest surviving example of Tyrolean woodcarving.

  • Lower Belvedere 2. Lower Belvedere
    2. Lower Belvedere

    The Museum of Austrian Baroque Art is housed in the rooms of the Lower Belvedere, formerly used by Prince Eugen as his living quarters.

  • 3. Marble Gallery

    This grandiose room contains works by Georg Raphael Donner and the original lead figures of the Providentia Fountain, now on Hoher Markt.

  • 4. Mirror Cabinet

    A statue of Prince Eugen of Savoy stands in this Lower Belvedere room. The walls are entirely covered by huge gilt-framed mirrors.

  • 5. French Gardens

    The French-style gardens link the palaces. The three levels each convey classical allusions: the lower part represents the Four Elements, the centre, Parnassus and the upper section, Olympus.

  • 6. Garden Statues

    Among the numerous statues, the Eight Muses and the Sphinxes are the most outstanding.

  • 7. Sala Terrena

    Its manifold architectural forms and sculptures make this Upper Belvedere hall one of the finest Baroque entrances. Four Herculean figures sculpted by Lorenzo Mattielli support the ceiling vault.

  • 8. Stairways

    In the centre of the magnificent Upper Belvedere entrance hall are the Baroque stairways, which lead to the ceremonial room.

  • 9. Marble Hall

    The central room of the Upper Belvedere was used for receptions and state occasions. The Austrian State Treaty was signed here in 1955.

  • Upper Belvedere Façade 10. Upper Belvedere Façade
    10. Upper Belvedere Façade

    The Upper Belvedere’s elaborate façade dominates the sweeping entrance. Its domed copper roofs resemble the shape of Turkish tents as a symbolic reflection of Prince Eugen’s victory.

Practical Information
For hearty Austrian food as well as specially brewed beer, try Salm Bräu, on Rennweg, next to the Belvedere Palace (see p120) Upper Belvedere: Prinz Eugen-Strasse 27 Lower Belvedere: Rennweg 6a 01 79 55 70 www.belvedere.at Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun Dis. access Adm €7.50
Write a review

If you were signed in, you could write a review here. Register for a free account, or if you're already a member, sign in.

Advertisement

 Latest guides
What’s on now in Vienna
  • Gustav Klimt and the 1908 Kunstschau
    Vienna's Belvedere gallery hosts Gustav Klimt and the 1908 Kunstschau, celebrating the 100th anniversary of an exhibition which marked the turning point in the development of Vienna's modern art... Read more
  • Vienna Practitioners' Ball
    It would be a shame to visit Vienna without a waltz at one of the city's renowned balls. The Vienna Practitioners' Ball (Wiener Ärzteball) in the stunning ballrooms of the Hofburg is famous for its... Read more
  • Ball der Wiener Kaffeesieder
    A high point of Vienna's ball season is the Ball der Wiener Kaffeesieder (or more intriguingly perhaps, the Ball of the Viennese Coffee House Owners). The owners of the city's famous coffee houses... Read more
  • Johann Strauss Ball
    The grand Johann Strauss Ball, now staged in the refurbished magnificence of the Wiener Kursalon in Vienna's Stadtpark, is even more romantic because it takes place on St Valentine's Day. Read more