Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sleeping
B1
Drinking & Nightlife
8
Club U
A2
D3
Entertainment
10
Konzerthaus
C1
11
Musikverein
A2
Shopping
12
Karlsplatz
A2
PALACE, GALLERY
Schloss Belvedere
(
www.belvedere.at
;
Taubstummengasse, Südtiroler Platz, D, 71 Schwarzenbergplatz)
Belvedere is a
masterpiece of total art and one of the world's finest baroque palaces. Designed by Jo-
hann Lukas von Hildebrandt (1668-1745), it was built for the brilliant military strategist
Prince Eugene of Savoy, conqueror of the Turks in 1718. The Unteres (Lower) Belvedere
was built first (1714-16), with an orangery attached, and was the prince's summer resid-
ence. Connected to it by a long, landscaped garden is the Oberes (Upper) Belvedere
(1721-23), the venue for the prince's banquets and other big bashes.
GALLERY
Oberes Belvedere
(Upper Belvedere; 03, Prinz-Eugen-Strasse 27; adult/child €11/free; 10am-6pm)
Oberes Belvedere is one
of those 'must sees'. A visit begins with the ornate
Sala Terrena
, with four colossal Atlas
pillars supporting the weight of its delicately stuccoed vault. A ground-floor section on
Medieval Art
leads you through the artistic development of the Middle Ages, with an ex-
ceptional portfolio of Gothic sculpture and altar pieces, many from Austrian abbeys and
monasteries. The space devoted to
Modern Art & the Interwar Period
includes works by Oskar
Kokoschka, Egon Schiele and Max Oppenheimer.