Are you interested in witnessing the grand life lived by an imperial officer in the 17th century?
Does taking a relaxing stroll through the vast gardens of a historic palace away from the bustling streets of Vienna sound amazing?
If so, you should definitely add the Belvedere Palace Gardens to your itinerary.
Belvedere Palace Gardens are part of the Belvedere Palace, a majestic building complex built in the Baroque style between 1717 and 1723.
The expansive gardens reflect the kind of power and prestige owned by the high societies of the imperial era.
Visiting Belvedere Palace Gardens for free
The Belvedere Palace has five gardens, out of which four – the Main Palace Gardens, Privy Garden, Sculpture Garden, and Botanical Garden – are free to enter.
The Alpine Garden requires an entry ticket, which you can purchase from the counter at the garden’s entrance.
Are the gardens included in the Belvedere Palace tickets?
Since four of the gardens at Belvedere Palace are free to enter, you don’t need any tickets.
However, the Vienna Palace is far more than just the gardens, so it makes sense to purchase the Belvedere Palace tickets and see at least the Upper Belvedere.
The Lower Belvedere is the less popular part of the palace and requires a different ticket.
If you prefer a local guide to take you through the Palace and the Gardens, we suggest the Belvedere Palace & Gardens Private Guided Tour.
Five gardens at Belvedere Palace
Did you know that you can visit the Palace Gardens, Privy Garden, Sculpture Garden, Botanical Garden, and Alpine Garden in the Belvedere Complex? Guys, you need some really comfortable shoes.
Geometric garden sculpting, dreamy sculptures, vibrant flower beds, and bubbling fountains add to the magnificence of the complex.
1. Palace Gardens
Admission to the Palace Gardens of Belvedere is free.
The main gardens of Belvedere are laid out on the grounds between the Upper and Lower Belvedere Palaces.
Baroque gardens of Belvedere are designed to be viewed from an elevated space for their sense of symmetry and perfectly geometric landscaping.
This vast land is filled with manicured shrubs, conifers, ornamental arrangements of flowering plants and gravel pathways, and meeting points marked with elegant waterworks and vivid sculptures.
The splendid pond that is located in front of the Upper Belvedere is wide and grand enough to give a stunning reflection of the entire Upper Belvedere Palace’s exterior.
It is a very pleasurable experience to walk through these palace gardens, which once used to be a place where the high society gathered to relax and now is a picture spot for the gram!
The gardens are open for all visitors to have their Pride and Prejudice moments. Who knows, you may even meet Mr. Darcy if luck is on your side.
Note: Pets are forbidden from entering the palace grounds.
Opening hours of Palace Gardens
Palace Gardens of Belvedere open either at 6.30 am or 7 am all throughout the year.
In the months of April, August, and September, it closes at 8 pm, and from May to July, it closes at 9 pm.
| Months | Timings |
| March | 7 am to 7 pm |
| April | 6.30 am to 8 pm |
| May to July | 6.30 am to 9 pm |
| August to September | 6.30 am to 8 pm |
| October | 6.30 am to 7 pm |
| November to February | 7 am to 5.30 pm |
Palace Gardens of the Belvedere complex is featured extensively in the movie “Woman in Gold,” directed by Simon Curtis, starring Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds.
You can have a hearty meal and sip some Viennese coffee with views of the Palace Gardens at the restaurants located in the Belvedere palace buildings.
2. Privy Garden/Kammergarten
As the name suggests, this garden in Belvedere Park was specially laid out to have a secluded atmosphere for the prince (Prince Eugene of Savoy, the former owner of the Belvedere Palace) to spend his leisure hours alone or with his close companions.
A vibrant collection of flowers and a beautifully landscaped parterre studded with fountains adorn the garden.
Don’t miss the enormous cage situated in this Privy Garden that was once an aviary. He had his own zoo!
Some of the tourists struggle to locate the Privy Garden, because of its location away from the palace gate.
We suggest you check out this map before your visit.
Belvedere’s Privy Garden is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm.
You can enjoy the overflowing of hues during mid-June.
3. Sculpture Garden
Time is up for the classics; now, get ready for the contemporary!
The Sculpture Garden is part of Belvedere 21, which houses contemporary art and a collection of sculptures from artists around the world.
Austrian sculptor Fritz Wotruba’s key works are currently exhibited in this garden.
Apart from the works by Wotruba and Heimo Zobernig displayed here, Lois Weinberger’s Wild Cube is a famous must-see masterpiece.
Opening hours
The Sculpture Garden of Belvedere 21 can be accessed during the opening hours of the Belvedere 21 museum for free. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 11 am to 6 pm.
The Sculpture Garden can also be reached through the new path from the Schweizergarten.
4. Botanical Garden/Botanischer Garten
Botany geeks assemble!
The Botanical Garden, built by Empress Maria Theresa, is also part of the Belvedere complex.
The garden is open to visitors for free.
It is now an independent segment of the University of Vienna, which includes open spaces and greenhouses.
There is a wide range of plant collections, including medicinal herbs, exotic and native plants, and endangered ones.
It is mainly used for research and academic purposes, and visitors can also see the biodiversity of this garden.
Opening hours and best time to visit
The Botanical Garden is open at 10 am throughout the year.
From April to September, it closes at 6 pm; in other months, it closes at 4 pm or 5 pm.
| Months | Timings |
| January | 10 am to 4 pm |
| February to March | 10 am to 5 pm |
| April to September | 10 am to 6 pm |
| October | 10 am to 5 pm |
| November to December | 10 am to 4 pm |
Note: The Botanical Garden remains closed during bad weather, and it is advisable to check the official site before planning a visit to the Botanical Garden of the Belvedere Palace.
You can have both church and civil weddings−including weddings for the LGBTQ community, photoshoots, and marriage proposals at the historic palace and its gardens.
5. Alpine Garden/Alpengarten
The Belvedere Complex’s Alpine Garden is the oldest in Europe. It houses an immense collection of more than 4000 varieties of alpines and over 100 bonsai.
It is a perfect spot for a horticulturist or someone looking for different varieties of plants to adorn their gardens, as some of the collections here are also available for sale.
Visitors are charged a minimal price of €4 for adults and €3 for children and youth under 19 years to enter the Alpine Garden.
You can get the tickets from the counter right at the garden’s entrance.
The Alpine Garden is located next to the Botanical Garden.
Opening hours and best time to visit
The Alpine Garden is open to viewers on all days from 10 am to 6 pm and remains closed during bad weather.
You can witness the Alpine Garden in full bloom from the end of March to the beginning of August.
All gardens in the Belvedere Park are completely wheelchair accessible, so do not miss the soul-soothing experience of the Gardens of Belvedere Palace during your visit.
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