Belvedere, Vienna, Austria - SpottingHistory.com

Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736), an accomplished general and art connoisseur, built the Belvedere palace as his summer residence. Today, the Belvedere, one of the most important baroque buildings in Austria, is located in Vienna’s third district. However at the time of its construction, the palace was located outside the city gates. Belvedere palace consists of two seperate buildings: the Upper and Lower Belvedere, which are connected by a stunning baroque garden. Enjoy views of Vienna’s first district from the Upper Belvedere. Today it houses not only Austrian art from the Middle Ages to the present day, but also the world's largest Klimt collection, with the golden paintings 'The Kiss' and 'Judith' as the highlights. Masterpieces by Schiele and Kokoschka, as well as works of French Impressionism and the Vienna Biedermeier era round out the exhibition.

Prince Eugene’s apartments and staterooms are located at the Lower Belvedere. The feudal splendor of the palace’s aristocratic original owner is reflected in the Hall of Grotesques, the Marble Gallery, and the Golden Room. The Lower Belvedere and the Orangery are used mainly for temporary exhibitions, while the Palace Stables are now home to some 150 objects of sacred medieval art that blend with the Baroque ambiance in a compelling fashion.

The Palace Gardens are unfolding in strict symmetry along a central axis to the prestige building of the Upper Belvedere and features beautiful sculptures, fountains and cascades.

References:

austria.info

User Reviews

Sam Clayton (2 years ago)
Many review here have rightly commented on the amazing architecture and art collection here, however I would like to say THANK YOU! to the Belvedere for providing a wonderful accessible facility with easy access for wheelchairs AND the facility to borrow wheelchairs if you have traveled without your own. Without the ramps, help and the availability of loan wheelchairs we wouldn't have been able to fully appreciate the art, architecture and culture. Thank you!

Shu Hua Chua (2 years ago)
It's worth buying a ticket to enter the palace. The palace itself is an art! It is famous for The Kiss (Lovers) by Gustav Klimt, but you will find other exquisite paintings too. I saw small groups of young students sat on the floor, admiring paintings and answering questions from their teachers. It made my day!

bijen shah (2 years ago)
Lovely building with a wonderful art collection. The key artwork must be Gustav Klimt's The Kiss which is one of many of his paintings there that represent his entire career. Otherwise there are plenty of exceptional paintings. The giant carved figures that support the ceiling of the entrance hall are a surprise. Lovely building with superb gardens adorned with sculpture. Highly recommended..

Flavy T (2 years ago)
Beautiful place. Two wonderful palaces ( upper and lower). The upper Belvedere is where the Kiss (Klimt) can be seen and also other amazing paintings. I would return anytime. A single visit seems too short. If you have the Vienna pass, both of them are included.

Frank Stewart (2 years ago)
Visited Aug 18. Beautiful palace and gardens. A short line up to buy tickets for the full visit or selected areas. I spent 3 hours here looking at all the fantastic paintings and statues as well as the fantastic architecture of the building. On entry to the palace the foyer and stairway is a work of art in its self. The views outside from the top floors are amazing. The Klimt gallery has the famous paintings that we have all seen before but never the "real thing." "The Kiss" is just one of them. Very enjoyable place to visit. There are many stairs but there is also a lift for less able bodied people. There are some paintings that you cant take pictures of. The sign next to art pieces will let you know if you can take pics or not...or ask the security guards in each room. A recommended place to visit with the family!

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Glimmingehus is the best preserved medieval stronghold in Scandinavia. It was built 1499-1506, during an era when Scania formed a vital part of Denmark, and contains many defensive arrangements of the era, such as parapets, false doors and dead-end corridors, 'murder-holes' for pouring boiling pitch over the attackers, moats, drawbridges and various other forms of death traps to surprise trespassers and protect the nobles against peasant uprisings. The lower part of the castle's stone walls are 2.4 meters (94 inches) thick and the upper part 1.8 meters (71 inches).

Construction was started in 1499 by the Danish knight Jens Holgersen Ulfstand and stone-cutter-mason and architect Adam van Düren, a North German master who also worked on Lund Cathedral. Construction was completed in 1506.

Ulfstand was a councillor, nobleman and admiral serving under John I of Denmark and many objects have been uncovered during archeological excavations that demonstrate the extravagant lifestyle of the knight's family at Glimmingehus up until Ulfstand's death in 1523. Some of the most expensive objects for sale in Europe during this period, such as Venetian glass, painted glass from the Rhine district and Spanish ceramics have been found here. Evidence of the family's wealth can also be seen inside the stone fortress, where everyday comforts for the knight's family included hot air channels in the walls and bench seats in the window recesses. Although considered comfortable for its period, it has also been argued that Glimmingehus was an expression of "Knighthood nostalgia" and not considered opulent or progressive enough even to the knight's contemporaries and especially not to later generations of the Scanian nobility. Glimmingehus is thought to have served as a residential castle for only a few generations before being transformed into a storage facility for grain.

An order from Charles XI to the administrators of the Swedish dominion of Scania in 1676 to demolish the castle, in order to ensure that it would not fall into the hands of the Danish king during the Scanian War, could not be executed. A first attempt, in which 20 Scanian farmers were ordered to assist, proved unsuccessful. An additional force of 130 men were sent to Glimmingehus to execute the order in a second attempt. However, before they could carry out the order, a Danish-Dutch naval division arrived in Ystad, and the Swedes had to abandon the demolition attempts. Throughout the 18th century the castle was used as deposit for agricultural produce and in 1924 it was donated to the Swedish state. Today it is administered by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

On site there is a museum, medieval kitchen, shop and restaurant and coffee house. During summer time there are several guided tours daily. In local folklore, the castle is described as haunted by multiple ghosts and the tradition of storytelling inspired by the castle is continued in the summer events at the castle called "Strange stories and terrifying tales".

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