While everyone flocks uphill to the Upper Belvedere for the Klimts, the Lower Belvedere is where you'll find Vienna's most ambitious temporary exhibitions staged inside jaw-dropping Baroque staterooms. Prince Eugene of Savoy's 1716 pleasure palace by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt hosts rotating shows that range from Louise Bourgeois to medieval art, and the Marble Hall and Gold Cabinet alone are worth the entry. Come for the art, stay for the architecture — and enjoy the fact that it's noticeably calmer than its famous upstairs sibling.
Prince Eugene's 1716 Baroque palace hosts Vienna's most ambitious temporary exhibitions in staterooms so grand they rival the art on the walls.
Buy a combined ticket for both Belvedere palaces and start at the Lower Belvedere in the morning when it's quietest — then walk up through the gardens to the Upper Belvedere.
Baroque grandeur without the upper palace crowds
The Lower Belvedere doesn't get the love it deserves. Most visitors march straight up the hill to the Upper Belvedere for "The Kiss," but they're missing half the story. This is Prince Eugene of Savoy's original Baroque residence, completed in 1716 by architect Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt, and the staterooms alone — the Marble Hall with its soaring ceiling frescoes, the glittering Gold Cabinet — are some of the most spectacular 18th-century interiors in Vienna. What makes the Lower Belvedere special, though, is how it uses these historic spaces for rotating temporary exhibitions. Recent shows have included Louise Bourgeois and various themed exhibitions that put contemporary and modern art in direct dialogue with Baroque surroundings. As one Viennese reviewer on TripAdvisor noted, they visit regularly because "there are always interesting, modern and well-curated exhibitions here" — and the contrast of exciting works against the extraordinary palace rooms "were simply great." The Orangery and Palace Stables, part of the same complex, add even more exhibition space. The gardens connecting the Lower and Upper palaces are free to walk through and stunning in spring and summer. If you're buying a combined ticket, plan for at least half a day to do both palaces justice — but if you only have time for one and prefer fewer crowds with equally impressive architecture, the Lower Belvedere is the smarter pick.