The Belvedere is not only a magnificent Baroque palace, but also houses one of the most valuable art collections in Austria - with major works by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka.
Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736), a successful general and art lover, had the Belvedere garden palace built by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt as his summer residence - at the time just outside the city gates. The Baroque Gesamtkunstwerk consists of two palaces (Upper and Lower Belvedere) and today houses Austrian art from the Middle Ages to the present day.
At the heart of the Belvedere's collection are the 24 paintings by Gustav Klimt, including his golden paintings "The Kiss" and "Judith". Klimt's "The Kiss" in particular is world-famous. The 180 x 180 cm painting was created in 1908/09 and shows Klimt and his girlfriend Emilie Flöge as lovers. "The Kiss" is probably Austria's most famous work of art. Klimt's portraits of women, which can also be admired in the Upper Belvedere, are also impressive.
The permanent exhibition in the Upper Belvedere was completely redesigned at the beginning of 2018: A total of 420 works can be seen in seven themed rooms on three floors. The tour starts with the history of the Belvedere. Works of art from the Middle Ages, Baroque, Classicism and Biedermeier are shown in the other rooms. Viennese Modernism and art from around 1900 naturally have their own large area on the second floor, where Klimt's "Kiss" has also found a new home. Finally, art from the interwar and post-war periods is shown on the second floor.
On May 15, 1955, the Austrian State Treaty was signed in the Upper Belvedere, freeing the Republic from occupying powers and other restrictions on sovereignty.
Not only the interior of the palace and the art on display there, but also the Belvedere garden is an absolute highlight.
The oldest part of the grounds was the first to be laid out by Dominique Girard, an important garden designer of his time, after the land was purchased around 1700. It took until 1725 for the park to be completed.

www.belvedere.at