Belvedere Palace

When my family headed to Belvedere Palace, I was expecting to see once again many royal apartments and paintings of the imperial family, such as we had seen at other palaces in Vienna. However, I was much surprised to see that this beautiful palace has been turned into an art gallery, and it houses many pieces of work that are famous and cherished by people around the world.

But first, the gardens. Like most of the palaces in Vienna, Belvedere Palace has exquisite gardens that are always open to the public. As you walk by monumental fountains and over pebble walkways, you may pass casual runners who are just enjoying their morning run in this royal garden (jealous! ). The lawn slopes upwards, from Lower Belvedere to Upper Belvedere, making the walk a bit of a hike, but the view is magnificent. The fountains and the symmetry of the gardens make it a feast for the eyes. The gardens can also be enjoyed from multiple views inside of the Upper Belvedere building.

Once inside the palace, we discovered masterpieces like The Kiss, by Gustav Klimt, and Napoleon at the Great St. Bernard (one of five versions painted by Jacques-Louis David). One of the lesser-known works of art that caught our eye was The Cook by Claude Monet, which was a stunning painting and very different from the more-famous Waterlilies and images of the gardens at Giverny (one of which was also on display in the exhibit). The art galleries not only housed great works of art, but were a very comfortable experience for guests - in one of the main halls, we were even able to lounge on yoga balls!

After visiting Belvedere, we watched the movie, The Woman in Gold. It is a film staring Helen Mirren that focuses on a true story about a painting that was once housed at the Belvedere Palace. This is a great film to watch if you are interested in the history of many of the pieces, and also how Austrians were affected by World War II and the Holocaust.

Belvedere is a palace that you don't want to miss. It is included in the Vienna Sightseeing Pass, which is great deal if you are visiting the city for several days.

Happy travels!