Belvedere Castle in Vienna

Belvedere Castle is located in the Austrian capital Vienna and was built between 1668 and 1745 by Johan Lucas von Hildebrandt. The large castle complex is located in the district "LandstraBe" and was built for Prince Eugene of Savoy. Today the castle is used for various exhibitions and can be visited daily.

The castle in detail

The castle is divided into an upper and a lower Belvedere and has a very large garden and a magnificent staircase. Belvedere is very important in Austria and can also be found on the 20-cent coin. The upper belvedere could be seen on the 10 shilling banknote. Lower Belvedere This part was completed in 1716. There were only very few living rooms, the largest areas were occupied by the orangery and the stables. The center is the large marble hall, the orangery was adapted in 2007. Since then, various special exhibitions have taken place in the lower Belvedere. Upper Belvedere Originally, only a very small garden building was planned for this part, which Prince Eugen later used as a summer residence. The upper Belvedere was built very close to nature between 1721 and 1723. At the front there is a large pond, which reflects the impressive castle.

The garden and the staircase

Staircase The magnificent staircase has a unique decoration of running gear combined with emblems and cartouches. In 1904 the staircase was completely rebuilt and got glazed windows and doors. In the state hall most of the pieces are made of artificial marble, the steps were made of imperial stone. Garden The large garden is by far the oldest part of the castle grounds and was laid out around 1700. The first terraces were also built at this time. In the extensive complex there are various sculptures such as a sphinx and some figures from the underworld. Between the upper and lower Belvedere a large flight of stairs was built. The park has been open to the public since 1780's. The park has been and will continue to be restored, and the large fountain will also be reopened in the future. Exhibitions Belvedere Castle is nowadays used for various exhibitions, collections and research. Impressive exhibitions of important artists regularly take place in the rooms of the castle. The castle is also very popular with tourists and is one of the most beautiful sights in the country.