Lower Belvedere

The Lower Belvedere was constructed from 1712 until 1716 for Prince Eugene of Savoy and designed by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt, one of the most important Austrian baroque architects. The Lower Belvedere served as a residential palace whereas the Upper Belvedere served for representative purposes in particular. Besides this, the Lower Belvedere also held parts of the princes’ collections. Today it houses special exhibtions of the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere.

Palais Kinsky

Kinsky Palace in the city center was commissioned by Count Wirich Philipp von Daun, the construction started in 1717 under the direction of Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt, a famous baroque architect. In 1784 the palace was sold to the Bohemian Kinsky family, therefore it's also known as "Palais Daun-Kinsky".

Schönborn Garden Palace

The Schönborn Garden Palace, designed by Austrian baroque architect Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt, houses the Austrian Museum of Folk Life and Folk Art. The museum was founded in 1895 and displays collections of the traditional folk culture of Austria and its neighbouring countries.

Palais Schwarzenberg

In 1697 Count Heinrich-Franz of Mansfeld hired the star-architect Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt to design himself a fancy summer palace outside the city walls of Vienna. In 1715, the property was sold to Prince Adam Franz Karl of Schwarzenberg and the palais was finished as a gem of Baroque representation. Throughout the centuries, the Palais Schwarzenberg remained in the hands of the Schwarzenberg family. During World War II the palais was badly damaged, but rebuilt after the end of the war. It then housed a 5* hotel and a restaurant until 2006. To date the plans for a complete redesign didn't work out, which means that the palais is still vacant. Some rooms however can be rented for special events. Recently the palais housed the headquarter of the Vienna Design Week.

Upper Belvedere

It's not the first time that I show you the Upper Belvedere (for more photos please click here, here, here and here). Today here is finally a closer look at the garden façade of Prince Eugene's summer residence that now houses a part of the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere museum.

Lower Belvedere

The Lower Belvedere was constructed from 1712 until 1716 for Prince Eugene of Savoy and designed by Austrian architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. The edifice served as a residential palace and also held parts of the princes’ art collections. Today it houses special exhibtions of the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere. If you want to see the interior please click here and here.

Prince Eugene's Summer Residence

Prince Eugene of Savoy, famed military leader and art connoisseur was born 350 years ago (18 October 1663 - 21 April 1736). He had the two Belvedere palaces (Upper and Lower Belvedere) built by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt as his summer residence. The construction work took place between 1717 and 1723. This photo shows the Upper Belvedere which primarily had a representative function at the time of the Prince and later served as an Imperial painting gallery. Today it houses the permanent collection of the "Österreichische Galerie Belvedere" museum: Austrian art dating from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Lower Belvedere

The Lower Belvedere was constructed from 1712 until 1716 for Prince Eugene of Savoy and designed by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt, one of the most important Austrian baroque architects. The Lower Belvedere served as a residential palace whereas the Upper Belvedere served for representative purposes in particular. Besides this, the Lower Belvedere also held parts of the princes’ collections. Today it houses special exhibtions of the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere.

Kinsky Palace #1

The baroque Kinsky Palace was commissioned by Count Wirich Philipp von Daun, the construction started in 1717 under the direction of architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. In 1784 it was sold to the Bohemian Kinsky family, therefore it´s also known as "Palais Daun-Kinsky". Today it houses an auction house and a restaurant.

Upper Belvedere

The Upper Belvedere was designed by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt as summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy and constructed between 1721 and 1722. On May 15, 1955 the Austrian State Treaty which re-established Austria as a sovereign state after the Second World War, has been signed in the Marble Hall. Today the Upper Belvedere houses the "Österreichische Galerie Belvedere" museum where you can see the world´s largest Klimt collection.