Palace Belvedere

How to get there: a 17-minute walk from Hotel Appartements Riemergasse,

or take tram No. 1 or 2 to Schwarzenbergplatz, then ride the No. 71 to the Unteres Belvedere stop. 

Palace Belvedere is a popular tourist attraction.  In its just recently renovated park, you can simply wander about and enjoy, or perhaps you may prefer to visit one of the regularly changing special exhibitions at the Upper or Lower Belvedere.

The rooms of the Upper Belvedere, built from 1717 to 1723, were primarily used by Prince Eugen to entertain and perform his official duties. After his death, this part of the palace was used until the opening of the Art History Museum on the Vienna Ringstrasse in 1897 by the imperial family as their "Imperial Painting Gallery".

During the war years of 1944-45, the palace was heavily damaged by air raids. This was repaired after the war, with the palace serving as the important setting for the signing of the Austrian State Treaty on May 15, 1955 in the Marble Hall of the Upper Belvedere, which restored sovereignty to Austria.

The Lower Belvedere was constructed as a garden palace from 1714 to 1716. This palace served as a residence, whilst the Upper Belvedere was used more for ceremonial purposes. Also housed in the Lower Belvedere were the painting collection, the library and an antique collection. In 1903, the Gallery of Modern Art was opened in the Lower Belvedere, while the imperial antique collection was now to be found in the East Wing. Nowadays, the Upper and Lower Belvedere both host a variety of special exhibitions, which rotate on a 4-5 month basis.