Belvedere Palace and Museum

See Gustav Klimt's legendary painting "The Kiss" as well as major works by Schiele and Kokoschka for yourself. You’ll be delighted by the magnificent ba-roque palace complex and its extensive gardens. Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736), successful general and art connoisseur, had Belve-dere garden palace built by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt as his summer residence – at the time it was still outside the gates of the city. This baroque architectural jewel consists of two palaces (Upper and Lower Belvedere), which today house Austrian art from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Upper Belvedere - world's largest Klimt collection

At the heart of the collections at the Belvedere are the works of Gustav Klimt with his golden paintings "The Kiss" and "Judith". The masterpieces by Schiele and Kokoschka as well as works of French Impressionism and highlights of the Vienna Biedermeier era (Waldmüller, Amerling, Fendi) that you will see here are every bit as impressive as the paintings of Makart, Boeckl, Wotruba, Hausner, Hundertwasser and others.

Masterworks of late Gothic art like the Znaim Altar, works by Michael Pacher, Rueland Frueauf the Elder and Conrad Laib are also on display here, along with lavish works of art dating from the baroque age. Significant works by Johann Michael Rottmayr, Daniel Gran and Paul Troger give a fascinating insight into the wealth of these times. The grimacing character heads by the sculptor Franz Xaver Messerschmidt are also very emotive.

Lower Belvedere - Prince Eugene’s apartments and staterooms

The feudal splendor of the palace’s aristocratic owner is reflected in the Hall of Grotesques, the Marble Gallery, and the Golden Room. Intriguing special exhibitions are staged in the Lower Belvedere and the Orangery.

Palace stables – Medieval Study Collection

The stables once housed the prince's 12 finest horses: today you will find the Belvedere's entire medieval art collection here.

21er Haus

The new "21er Haus" museum is not only highly interesting from an architectural point of view, but is also intensively engaged in Austrian art of the 20th and 21st centuries.The impressive building was constructed by leading architect Karl Schwanzer as the Austria pavilion for the World Exhibition in 1958 and opened as a museum for the art of the 20th century in Vienna in 1962. Today, the building known as 21er Haus and forming a part of the Belvedere, is used in an international context as a platform for Austrian art from 1945 to the present day. In addition to themed changing exhibitions and individual items, the new museum will also show the estate of the sculptor Fritz Wotruba and house the artotheque of the Austrian Federation. A cinema and a café-restaurant with terrace in the sculpture courtyard (designed by Adolf Krischanitz and Hermann Czech) supplement the offering.

Architect Adolf Krischanitz adapted and remodeled Schwanzer's building for the re-opening in 2011. In 1958, Schwanzer received the Grand prix d'Architecture for the trendsetting and technically innovative design. Krischanitz has now excavated the basement and added a six-storey tower to the facility, which acts as a long-range signal.

Orangerie:

The orangery was originally a heatable winter garden for orange trees. Since the south façade and the ceiling could be removed during the beautiful seasons, the plants did not need to be brought out arduously but could rather remain at their place. Heatable constructions for hibernation of sensitive plants in winter were known since the 16th century in Italy as well as in Germany but their mantling and dismantling was very complex.

Through the construction of the Eugenian orangery – a masterwork of craftsmanship –, the setup and dismantling with sliding constructions and similar could be eased to a great extent. After the death of Prince Eugen and the relocation of the orangery to Schönbrunn, the plant house was renovated and used as stall. In 1805, a suspended ceiling was drawn in; besides this, the sliding roof was replaced.

After 1918, a part of the Modern Gallery and from 1953 till 2007, the museum of middle age art were both housed in this building. In 2007, the architect Susanne Zottl designed a modern exhibition hall as a white cube in the orangery.



Start/opening time: Lower Belvedere/Orangerie /Upper Belvedere daily 10am to 6pm. Exception Lower Belvedere/Orangerie on Wednesday: 10am to 9pm. Palace Stables daily 10am to 12pm. 21er Haus daily 10am to 6pm, exception on Wednesday 10am to 9pm.

Admissions

21er Haus Ticket includes: 21er Haus