The third day in Vienna was my favorite day. Why? Because we went to the Belvedere Castle and saw some beautiful and amazing pieces of art - including Gustav Klimts "The Kiss".Check out at the Wombats was at 10 am sharp and we were there about 8 to get one last good (and big) meal in before the days start. We took the subway to get to the Belvedere, but here is where the map misled us. It said the entrance to the Belvedere was only a short walk from the station but in fact we should have taken a tram to the entrance (a difference of a 20 minute walk (and goof-around time) to a 2 minute tram ride). Upon entrance to the Belvedere we immediately went to get our tickets before trying to see the grounds, Castle, or Christmas Markets. The tickets were not that pricey but it was very confusing because there are different parts to the Castle with its own ticket. So, if you wanted to see the entire Castle and its grounds then you had to buy 3 tickets. We only bought one ticket - the Upper Belvedere which allotted us into the main part of the castle and the museum.
Ash and I goofing around on the grounds at the Belvedere.
As we walked towards the front of the Castle we noticed the beautiful view it had with the grounds in front and a landscape of Vienna in the background. It was simply breath-taking. We took this moment to get a bunch of our photos in front of the Belvedere, the grounds, and the city-scape. We got some good photos and a bunch of goofy ones as well. Over all this took us about 30 minutes because we were having such fun.
Ash and Alex in front of the Belvedere
Upon entrance to the Castle we quickly had to ask if we could take non-flash photos. No, we could not: photos were strictly prohibited. Oh well, guess we would have to buy postcards as well as remember all of it. We first started in the Medieval Art section on the first floor. This featured original statues and works of art from all over Austria. Some of which were even the originals from the Castle itself. We moved upstairs to the Realism and Impressionism section of which we witnessed the famous work by Jaques Louis David "Napoleon at St. Bernhard". Next was the Marble Hall, this was once the main meeting room/entertainment room of the Palace. It was so beautiful that we sat down for a few minutes just to enjoy the view. We then ventured into the Baroque and Early 19th Century Art. Here was housed the largest collection of works by Gustav Klimts including "Judith" and "The Kiss". They were absolutely magnificent. I could have stood there and stared for hours. Upstairs was the final section housing Neoclassical and Romantic Art. Our entire walk through took about 2 hours.
Jaques Louis Davids "Napoleon at St. Bernhard".
Seeing the art works in person was so unreal. Being an Art History major I have read, heard, and talked about these works of art. But seeing them there: huge, colorful, real. It was one of the best experiences so far.
After that, well, we not only visited the Christmas Market outside of the Belvedere but we also found a few others before we headed on the train to Dresden!
Love and Miss everyone,
Emily
Travel Tip:
None this time, maybe next!
The rear of the Belvedere where there was a Christmas Market.
No comments:
Post a Comment