Belvedere Palace
While in Vienna, you must visit the Belvedere Palace. The palace baroque architectural complex is really so beautiful and elegant that it is often called the Austrian Versailles.
History of the palace
In 1714, the Austrian commander, Prince Eugene Savoy, wanted to build a summer residence on a picturesque hill in the vicinity of Vienna. The famous architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt took up the matter. The role model was chosen by the magnificent Versailles. Construction ended after 2 years, the result fully met expectations. Parade bedroom, Mirror room, Golden cabinet, Marble gallery. Some of these names speak of the extraordinary beauty of the palace, called the Lower Belvedere. Later, the prince needed another building for audiences, special receptions, magnificent balls. By 1722, the Upper Belvedere – was built with a majestic spacious hall, rich interiors, unique frescoes and sculptures.
After the death of the prince in 1736, the founder of the Lorraine branch of the Habsburg dynasty, Empress Maria Theresa, bought the Belvedere Palace. By her command, Belvedere Park was one of the first in Europe to become available to visitors to any estate. And in the late 1770s. The son of Maria Theresa Joseph II brought to the Upper Belvedere a significant part of the imperial collection of artworks and also opened it to the public. It is interesting that Maria Theresa was a mother, and Joseph – the sibling of that very unfortunate Maria Antoinette, the French queen, who was executed during the Great French Revolution.
Art expositions
Nowadays, in the halls of Upper Belvedere there are collections of paintings of the Austrian gallery of the XIX — XX centuries. Here you can get acquainted with the works of Renoir, Manet, Van Gogh, Beckmann, Shile, Kokoshki and modern masters. The main highlight of the museum is the collection of paintings by Gustav Klimt from him to the whole world famous “ We kiss ”.
Park area
The famous gardener and fountain master French Dominic Girard, who worked in Versailles parks, is considered the creator of the garden in Belvedere. Thanks to him and the followers, in addition to luxurious vegetation, vast water spaces appeared in the park. And the high terraces descending from the high hill allow you to see the whole ancient city, as in the palm of your hand.
In the XIX century, the Botanical Garden and the Alpinarium appear on the territory of the palace complex. More than 4,000 specimens of alpine plants grow on the territory of the Alpine, of which various patterns are formed on the lawns. According to the reviews of tourists who have visited Belvedere, you need to visit it in late spring, when everything turns green and blooms. The Belvedere Palace and Park Complex is recognized as a masterpiece of Baroque landscape and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Not only tourists can enjoy this beauty, the inhabitants of Vienna with pleasure visit Belvedere with whole families to have a picnic on the grass and admire their city from a high terrace.
