Private Klimt & Vienna Art Walk — From Baroque to Secession
Description
This half-day walking-tour presents two of Vienna’s most outstanding periods, Baroque and Art Nouveau. We skip-the-line to explore the Upper Belvederes refined interior. The Austria Gallery’s highlight is the Kiss by Gustav Klimt – presented among ten other Klimts and works of his contemporaries like Schiele and Kokoschka. Baroque gardens always hide little surprises – lets decipher them. The open spaces of Schwarzenbergplatz and Karlsplatz offer unique vistas spanning periods from the seventeen-hundreds to WWII. An art nouveau signature building itself the Secession holds another Kiss at the end of Klimt’s “illustration” of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. At the end, Naschmarkt invites you to explore Vienna’s culinary diversity or just relax with an al fresco lunch or afternoon snack.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Outstanding wrought-iron gates open into the Belvedere gardens. We skip the line to visit Vienna’s best baroque garden palace and see Klimt’s Kiss – embedded in the Austrian Gallery.
On our way down, we decipher the three-leveled gardens and the play with visual tricks before we enter the Lower Belvedere.
The garden room and the honor court make us understand what Prince Eugene brought to Vienna from Versailles – on a miniature scale though.
Schwarzenbergplatz is dominated by the Soviet Memorial and surrounded by a mix of buildings illustrating Vienna’s boom period at the end of the 1800 hundreds.
Built to impress from a distance, this church sets the stage for Austria’s most glorious epoch in the 1700 hundreds. Baroque at it’s best.
Functional though elegant – the Otto Wagner metro-station at Karlsplatz represents another of Vienna’s moments of glory, the time around 1900, Art Nouveau!
The Wiener Musikverein (Viennese Music Association) is the home of the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra. The "Great/Golden Hall" (Großer Saal), due to its highly regarded acoustics, is considered one of the finest concert halls in the world.
The Secession Building is as an architectural manifesto for Art Nouveau. Built by a group of rebel artists seceding from the long-established fine art institution. Klimt painted the Beethoven Frieze for an exhibition in celebration of the composer. Meant for the exhibition only, the frieze was painted directly on the walls with light materials. It culminates in "a kiss to the world".
The Naschmarkt in its current, transitional stage dates to 1915 and is a mixture of a market and an international food experience. Perfect for a “al fresco” lunch or a tasty late afternoon snack.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We meet our guests at all hotels and vacation rentals in town, Reichsbruecke pier or train stations (Vienna Hbf, Vienna West) Other meeting points can be arranged. Tour starts at 09:30 and 14:00
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Pets are not permitted in certain areas visited
Reviews(17)
Lovely and worth a visit
Gracias, Susi, por tu valoración positiva. Nos alegra que hayas disfrutado del recorrido.
I strongly recommended other travelers not to book this tour. The tour guide Walter distorted History for personal reasons and was very unprofessional. He has strong anti-american ideas like expressing his idea that NATO was originally formed by the U.S. in order to control Europe. He also believed that Austria would have been better under Soviet-era rule.
Gonzalo, thank you for your feedback (05/29)! Although your negative rating results from another incident, including rudeness on your side – I respect your reception of my guiding-performance. Based on a profound academic education and forty+ years in travelling (including living 10 years in the USA) and guiding, I learned to consider/respect different ideological perspectives. Austrias skepticism towards NATO is documented by a survey that states 62% of Austrians would oppose NATO membership, if it ever would be even considered. Born under “Soviet rule” in suburban Vienna 1953 to a family with partly pre-communist Russian roots– I did not glorify that system, but mentioned, that Austria practices contacts with (any) Russia, free of Russophobia successfully. But yes, me and our guides are encouraged to share personal opinions – as we think that enriches our guests travel experience. That’s what we consider a “private tours” could be about too!
We took a birthday ride on the tram from the tram museum across the Ring in Vienna. The tram is 97 years old. 🚊We would be picked up and greeted. Beautiful wagon renovated with love. Fun ride, good mood, sparkling wine and sweets we had with us. 🍾🍬🍭We see all the sights. After about 1, 5 hours we come back. Another souvenir photo was taken of us. A very nice ride through Vienna. UNIQUE. Very nice drivers inside. Successful birthday. 🥳🎉
Es freut uns, dass Euch die Straßenbahnfahrt in Wien Spaß gemacht hat und dass Ihr dieses positive Erlebnis teilen möchtet. Allerdings habt Ihr diese fahrt nicht mit uns gebucht – Schindl Local Services & Day Tours hat eine solches Arrangement nicht im Angebot. Liebe Grüße aus Wien
Pick up at hotel and riding Metro with all the explanations of the Art and historical reference. The explanation of klimts life, friends and insight into the art because of it. Loved the Belvedere and why it was built. Wonderful pace and helped so much with questions.
Thanks Sandra, glad it worked out for us. It’s a somewhat challenging tour but we want go share a feel for Vienna beyond the pieces of art. Happy travels for the two of you!
We learned so much about Vienna! This tour included information about the past and its effects on the present. We loved walking through Vienna even though the weather was troubling. Walter was the perfect guide. If you want to learn about Klimt, Vienna and all of its past glory then this is the tour for you.
Thank you Marguerite, for the positive energy you brought into this tour at the beginning of the weatherwise most challenging weekend for Vienna. Glad you two enjoyed the mix of information amidst the environmental challenges we faced together.
Walter was great. Pace was perfect and the Belvedere was exquisite. Stopped for a beer at local pub which was quite enjoyable. Highly recommend this tour with Walter.
Thank you, Carmine! Glad you liked the mix of “art and pleasure” – and we covered quite some ground. I enjoyed your company. Happy travels!
Walter was a great guide. He was knowledgeable and charming. The art history was well presented and explained though the tour. He easily adjusted to the slower walking pace of a member of our party and made it an enjoyable morning. There is plenty of walking, so be aware of that. But highly recommend.
Thank you Evan! I’m glad that - building on the special interest – we were able to get a feel for the city. Wish you a save “floating” to Amsterdam!
We were impressed with Walter's knowledge of art and history. However, he is more of a lecturer than an engaged guide, and his humor is a bit dated (we didn't really need the wife and boobs jokes). His walking pace is quite slow, and while we didn't mind, some may find his limited energy frustrating.
Hello Christine, Thanks for your feedback. If I remember well, you abruptly ended the tour after 2hrs. – instead of 3hrs – because “your and your sister’s feet where killing you”. Which is no surprise after taking another walking tour in the morning. Although being 71 I know how to pace myself for two walks a day. Mentioning that, it may explain why I may seem slow . . . I have to go the whole way every day. Ok, my humor may be somewhat outdated . . . which may come with age, sorry. Sorry also for not meeting your expectations and you not being able to finish the tour.
Excellent. Guide was very knowledgeable about the museum, and the paintings contained therein. He was also able to get us in early, and explained the buildings around the palace.
Visiting Belvedere (Klimt’s Kiss) can become challenging – glad we made it. Thanks for deciding on a tour-mix with us/me.
A thank you to Walter, he is a special guide, with a great knowledge and a lot of stories. My group enjoyed this 3 hours very much!
Thank you Ulrike! Glad to see the Irish travel again. So far there where not many this year!
