Vienna, Austria - Belvedere Palace Gardens

The Belvederegarten extends from the Upper Belvedere Palace, down a gentle slope, to the Lower Belvedere.

 The gardens are done in a formal French style with graveled walks and jeux d'eau.  Jeux d'eau is an umbrella term for the type of water features introduced in mid-16th century Mannerist Italian gardens and include water chains, water stairs, fountains, cascades, jets, pools and canals.  Pumps were invented and the fountains grew bigger and better.  Where can you find these in the US today?  Think of the resorts in Las Vegas with water shows dancing to music and laser lights!

 The bedding had originally been patterned and then grassed over. The patterns are now being restored.

 The center "stairs" are not for people. These are water stairs that come from the upper fountain.

 A zoom view to see the fountain, the Upper Belvedere with the Christmas tree lights seen through the window.

 Details on the nymphs and goddesses playing in the fountains.

 View to the Lower Belvedere.

 Views from the side walkway with different perspectives to give a better idea of the size of the gardens.

 Hedges at the fountain area near the Lower Belvedere.

 Ornate gates along the side of the garden.

The garden side of the Lower Belvedere.

Vienna, Austria - Upper Belvedere Palace

My walk continued up a slight grade as Schwartenbergplatz changed to Prinz Eugen-Strasse. I entered the palace grounds and found my way to the ticket office.  I purchased a ticket for the Upper Belvedere gallery to see the Gustav Klimt works and the Lower Belvedere gallery to see "The Women of Klimt, Schiele, and Kokoschka" exhibit.  Circle to the other side of the larger building (past the not-yet-open Belvedere Christmas Market...did not come back to see it).

 There are large gardens between the Upper and Lower Belvedere buildings.

 The Upper Belvedere Palace was built in the Baroque style and was a summer palace for Prince Eugene of Savoy. Construction was completed in 1723.

 Looking through the fog at the gardens between the Upper and Lower Belvedere.

 And a snowman...This marble sculpture is by Manfred Erjahtz, is named Gefungen in der Gegenwart (Trapped in the Present), and explores a wintery subject: the snowman.  The Belvedere website explains that this represents "not only a particular season but also memories and the complexity of transience." You can also buy cups and saucers for 70 euro with the snowman on it.

In case you were wondering, here is a photo of the cup and saucer for 70 euro.  (80 ish US dollars).  This is not my photo and credit goes to the Belvedere website. I did not buy one.

This is the "Belvedere Christmas Tree 2015".  The name of this is "Under the Weight of Light" by Manfred Erjahtz. It compliments the space in the lobby "High Baroque Sala Terrane".

 I started my tour with an older period and was enjoying myself taking photographs because I did not see a "no photo" sign.  This is the Marble Hall with the ceiling painted by Carlo Carlone.  Carlo was an Italian painter and engraver active in Germany.  He studied in Venice and Rome but when he visited Germany he left works at Ludwigsburg, Passau, Linz, Breslau, Prague and Vienna.

 That photo joy ended when a guard told me that no photos were allowed.  I considered discussing the need for a sign if the rules were such but actually did not know the German words to voice my opinion. And good thing because as soon as I walked back to the lobby I saw the very big and very clear "no Photos please" sign.  How did I miss that?

I was delighted to view the Klimt exhibit.  "The Kiss" was the big named piece.  You couldn't take photos obviously but it was a very good idea to have a separate room where you could "selfie" in front of a large print. (This is not my selfie!!)

 I enjoyed a break from touring with a snack (see my snack here:
http://ladeetravels.blogspot.com/2015/12/vienna-austria-daily-overview.html)

and then began my walk from the Upper Belvedere to the Lower Belvedere through the Belvedere Gardens.

Reference for details on the Belvedere: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belvedere,_Vienna

Vienna, Austria - Walk from Opera House to Belvedere Palace

My mission for the day was to walk to the Belvedere to see the works by Gustav Klimt.  I looked at the map and it was less than a mile from my apartment to the main building.

A brief note from the night before because I don't have enough photos to actually post an individual blog post:  I crossed the Opernring in front of the Weiner Staatsopera (Vienna Opera house). This was near the apartment.

Cafe Museum where I met two IIBA Austria Chapter board members the day before.

 The Hop On Hop Off tour buses stop a few steps from the apartment building main door.  You can buy tickets from the vendors standing near the bus.

 And now let's start the walk to the Opera house.   The fog was hanging very low throughout the city and there was a slight drizzle.  I grabbed my umbrella and started off by walking on Walfischgasse and turning right on Schwartzenbergstrasse.  Yes, read the street names and feel my pain!  There is a little mall in here if you need to get essentials and other things. I then walked to cross Kartner Ring.

Here is where I learned about the green bike lanes.  You have to be careful walking across these because it is a bicycle freeway! You walk where you are supposed to walk, bikes zip along, and cars have their space.

 McDonalds in a fancy building.

 Schwartzenbergstrasse splits in to two Schwartzenbergplatz roads.  I stayed to the right. This building is the "House of Industry",  one of the most outstanding examples of an architectural style called "Late Historicism". It was built between 1906 and 1909 and is one of Vienna's last squared stone masonry buildings.
More on the architects and building materials at this website:
http://www.iv-net.at/b1354m111/the-house-of-industry/

 This is the "Akademietheater" (academy theater), a performing arts theater and the smaller of two theaters in the Burgtheater organization. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akademietheater

 Karlskirche dome in the background with a close up of the beautiful and fancy work.  Karlskirche is a baroque cathedral.

 This is the French Embassy.  It was built to glorify the relationship between France and the Austro-Hungarian Empire of the beginning of the 20th century, and to assert and influence the power of the French republic. It was designed by Georges Chedanne, a famous architect of the Galleries Lafayette department store and the Elysse Palace in Paris. Construction began in 1904 and Chedanne surrounded himself with the most representative artists of Art Nouveau.
(Source: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambassade_de_France_en_Autriche)

 There are a few policeman (hard to see) standing in front of a memorial to the victims of the Paris shootings.  I have a few pictures in a later post that I took when I walked by the embassy on my return trip.

 Christmas trees for sale at the tip of the Belvedere Garden space.

 This memorial fountain is Hockstrahibrunnen. It took me a while to research this and I resorted to translating a German article.  Well, this is a high beam fountain and was built at the completion of the Vienna high water supply sources.  365 small fountains around the edge represent the days of the year.  Six fountains coordinate with the seven days of the week.  Twelve high beams (this must mean that they are capable of shooting really high) coordinate with the months.  24 low beams coordinate with the time of day and 30 rays in the middle of the island with the days of the month.  The fountain was dry when I visited.  You can see a functioning photo here:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hochstrahlbrunnen#/media/File:Wien_-_Hochstrahlbrunnen_bei_Nacht_-_blau.jpg

The statue and wall behind is Heldendenkmal der Roten Armee (Heroes' Monument of the Red Army) is a Soviet War Memorial to commemorate the 17,000 soldiers who fell during the Battle for Vienna of World War II.

 I turned around and took another photograph of the French Embassy, and the crosswalks with the bike lanes and traffic merging.

 The other street corner.

And my walk continues...I am halfway to my destination.