The Belvedere is two baroque palaces facing each other across a sloping formal garden, built not for an emperor but for a general: Prince Eugene of Savoy, the Habsburgs' most successful commander, completed the Upper Belvedere as his party venue in 1723. The name means "beautiful view", and the garden terraces still deliver it — the Upper Palace's reflecting pool frames a skyline running from Stephansdom's spire to the Kahlenberg hills.
Nearly everyone comes for one painting: Gustav Klimt's The Kiss hangs in the Upper Belvedere alongside the world's largest Klimt oil collection, plus Schiele, Kokoschka and Biedermeier galleries (about €18, timed entry — book online to skip the ticket queue). The building itself carries modern history too: the Marble Hall upstairs is where the Austrian State Treaty was signed in May 1955, restoring the country's sovereignty — the balcony photo of the foreign ministers is one of Austria's defining images.
The Lower Belvedere, Prince Eugene's actual residence at the bottom of the garden, runs temporary exhibitions in its state rooms and orangery (about €14, or combined tickets with the Upper). The garden linking the two is free and open daily. Reach the Upper Palace via tram D to Schloss Belvedere, or walk 15 minutes from Karlsplatz; a visit pairs naturally with Karlskirche on the way back into the center.
