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.
At this time the Belvedere Palaces were still located outside
Vienna's defences, but today they are a part of Vienna`s third
district which is not far away from the very centre of Vienna.
The Palaces' architecture and interior design are typical for
Rococo style.
Today, both palaces house museums featuring Austrian
painting. In the lower palace the "Österreichisches
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. 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).
In 1803, Europe's first alpine
garden was created in the extensive park area of Belvedere
castle following a suggestion of Archduke Johann. Today, more
than 4000 plants represent the diverse flora of the alpine ecosystem.
Spring and early summer are the best times to visit as many
plants foliate and start to flower.
