The Belvedere , Vienna ..... How Privileged I Had Been To Witness This Gem

In 2011, our office located in the city center (1st District) had been relocated to the 4th Viennese District. I was working for a multinational company dealing with farming and heavy construction equipment that had business in Russia and its breakaway republic such as Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and a construction business in Turkey. The city center office had been too big and expensive and had been always 80% empty as most expats worked outside the Vienna Headquarters. The Management decided to move to a smaller office in the not so far away location (embassy area) with a fantastic view of the Belvedere. It was a dream view!

Description - The Belvedere

The unique ensemble with the two castles Upper and Lower Belvedere and the spacious garden is one of the most beautiful baroque buildings in the world. In the 18th century, the Austrian general Prince Eugene of Savoy commissioned the respected Baroque architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt to build a summer residence. After Prince Eugen's death, Maria Theresa acquired the entire complex and made the Upper Belvedere the exhibition venue for the imperial collections - and thus one of the first public museums in the world. The marble hall offers an incomparable view of Vienna, where important historical events took place. Splendid exhibitions are shown in the Lower Belvedere, originally the home of Prince Eugene. The modern pavilion of Belvedere 21 by architect Karl Schwanzer is the setting for contemporary art. Source.

I couldn´t believe my eyes, we were moving to another building with a super duper view of the Belvedere Palace. I´ve had the privilege to be seated in an area with French door/window so that I could see the complex even when seated.

A Baroque Gem...

It was so lovely and so inspiring at work seeing this beautiful Baroque gem every work-day of the week. And as we were inspired to work, however hectic the job had been, this view lessened our stress. From my office, it was just a few steps to its main gate and by simply crossing Prinz Eugen Strasse, we were right there inside the palace grounds in a minute. I took my lunch there, the palace has a botanical garden to its left side that is full of rare plants and flowers and you could just sit in one of the benches and enjoy the fragrance of the flowers.

This main gate of the palace is so beautiful with its massive wrought iron with lions on both sides "guarding the crown of the Kaiser ". Below is one of many gates located on the side of Prinz Eugen Strasse which the visitors could use to get to a nearby tram going to the city center.

Upper Belvedere

The Upper Belvedere was originally designed as a small building that was supposed to visually complete the garden. After further land purchases by the prince, Hildebrandt expanded the planning and built the Upper Belvedere 1720–1723 in the size it is today; the construction work was completed in 1725/1726. Source

Taken in December, the front of the Upper Belvedere had been venue for the Christkindl market. This is a traditional market that offers Christmas goodies and food for the visitors.

Lower Belvedere

The Lower Belvedere was completed in 1716 and marked the boundary between the Baroque building complex and the imperial city of Vienna. Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt planned the Lower Belvedere for Prince Eugene as a residential building, with staterooms that illustrate the Baroque lifestyle and craftsmanship. Today, the rooms of the Lower Belvedere and the Orangery are used for exhibitions and events. Source

The Stephansdom (St. Stephens Cathedral) as seen from the back of the Upper Belvedere.

Maria Theresa (1717 - 1780)

She was a powerful Habsburg Archduchess of Austria and the queen of Hungary and Bohemia, who was capable of fighting the Prussians in wars. Since Maria Theresa overtook the palace, it remained until now the venue of Art Collection of the Habsburgs as well as contemporary, modern arts. It also became a museum open to public featuring the largest artworks of Egon Schiele.

The Sphinx

The Sphinxe are located at the back of the upper Belvedere right at the entrance to the Baroque garden. The sphinx in Greek mythology is a figure that is half human and half lion which is mostly feminine and symbolizes strength and intelligence. These are not the only sculptures available, others were also prominently placed on the top of the Palace´s terraces (Upper Belvedere) as in the above images.

The most famous of all Sphinxe in the Belvedere garden, a favorite photography object for visiting tourists.

Me.. before the Baroque Garden taken during one of my lunch breaks.

This was the palace view from my office window taken one winter day. I have enjoyed this lovely unique view for 3 1/2 years before my retirement as a corporate slave, lol! Once in a while when I miss this view, I visit my office friends to enjoy a cup of coffee and croissants.

All images in this post were taken and owned by @mers

GIF by @gremayo