Belvedere, Vienna

The Belvedere comprises two magnificent baroque mansions facing each other across a sloping formal garden. Prince Eugène of Savoy, whose campaigns against the Turks enabled the Habsburg Empire to reclaim Hungary, purchased some land beyond the city walls in 1693, upon which he ordered a park with elaborate water features and fountains to be built. In 1714, the Prince had Lukas von Hildebrandt build the Lower Belvedere for his personal use with its beautiful Marmorsaal (marble hall), the Prunkgalerie and the marvelous Spiegelsaal (mirror hall). In 1721, Hildebrandt started with the construction of the Upper Belvedere, purposely built for the prince's lavish masked balls, receptions and firework displays. The Palace is also home to the Austrian Gallery. The Upper Belvedere houses pieces of Austrian art from the 19th and 20th Centuries. The remarkable collection contains paintings by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, Hans Makart, Oskar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, Richard Gerstl and many others. The Museum of Medieval Art and the Baroque Museum are situated in the Lower Belvedere. Romanesque and gothic wood sculptures and altar panels, and a comprehensive collection of works by Maulbertsch, Messerschmidt and Donner can be visited in the splendid summer residence of this former military commander. Call ahead for more details.