Attraction
Schönbrunn Palace
The Habsburgs' 1,441-room summer palace in Hietzing, with state apartments, formal Baroque gardens, the Gloriette and the world's oldest working zoo in its grounds.
Upper Belvedere
Prince Eugene's Baroque summer palace, now a museum of Austrian art holding Klimt's The Kiss, with terraced French gardens running down to the Lower Belvedere.
At a glance
- Type
- Baroque palace and art museum
- Area
- Landstraße, Vienna, Austria
- Opening
- Open daily · 09:00–18:00
- Official site
- belvedere.at
Good to know
- Time-slot tickets
- Free palace gardens
- Gender-neutral toilets
- Sensory-friendly resources
Why we recommend it
The Belvedere is a pair of Baroque palaces built for Prince Eugene of Savoy, the general who led the Habsburg armies against the Ottomans. His architect, Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt, designed the Lower Belvedere as a summer residence and the Upper Belvedere, completed in 1723, as a showpiece for receptions and ceremonies. Between them run formal gardens laid out by Dominique Girard over three terraces, with fountains, cascades and sculptures. The whole ensemble is part of the Historic Centre of Vienna World Heritage Site.
Today the Upper Belvedere houses the museum's permanent collection of Austrian art from the Middle Ages to the present. The main attraction is the world's largest collection of paintings by Gustav Klimt, including The Kiss and Judith. Rooms around them show work by Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka and Richard Gerstl, French Impressionists such as Monet and Renoir, Jacques-Louis David's Napoleon Crossing the Alps and the strange character heads of the sculptor Franz Xaver Messerschmidt. The Marble Hall on the first floor, where the Austrian State Treaty was signed in 1955, is worth a visit for the ceiling fresco and the view over the gardens to the city.
The Lower Belvedere and the Orangery are used for temporary exhibitions, and Belvedere 21, a modernist pavilion near the Hauptbahnhof, focuses on contemporary art. Combined day tickets let you visit the different venues on the same day.
The Upper Belvedere is popular, and the room with The Kiss can be crowded. Tickets come with a time slot for entry, though there is no time limit once you are inside, so book online and try for the first slot of the day. The museum is open daily from 09:00 to 18:00. Allow around two hours for the collection, plus time for the gardens, which are free to walk through. Visitors with a disability card receive reduced admission, and the museum publishes inclusion resources on its website.
The Upper Belvedere is in the third district, about 15 minutes' walk south-east of the Ring. Tram D stops at Schloss Belvedere by the upper entrance, and the Hauptbahnhof and the Quartier Belvedere S-Bahn station are a short walk away. You can enter at the top, see the collection and then walk down through the gardens to the Lower Belvedere and Rennweg, finishing near Schwarzenbergplatz.
Upper Belvedere FAQs
Where can I see Klimt's The Kiss?
In the Upper Belvedere, which holds the world's largest collection of Klimt paintings.
What are the opening hours of the Upper Belvedere?
Daily from 09:00 to 18:00.
Do I need a time slot?
Yes. A time-slot ticket is needed for the Upper Belvedere, but there is no limit on how long you stay once inside.
Are the Belvedere gardens free?
Yes, the palace gardens between the Upper and Lower Belvedere are free to enter.
How long should I allow?
Around two hours for the Upper Belvedere collection, plus extra time for the gardens or the Lower Belvedere.
How do I get to the Upper Belvedere?
Tram D stops at Schloss Belvedere, and the Hauptbahnhof and Quartier Belvedere stations are within walking distance.
Are there reduced tickets for disabled visitors?
Yes. Visitors with a disability card pay a reduced price, and a companion enters free if noted on the card.
What else is part of the Belvedere?
The Lower Belvedere and Orangery for temporary exhibitions and Belvedere 21 for contemporary art.