One of my favorite places in Vienna is the Belvedere, a Baroque palace complex so large it is divided into the Upper and Lower Belvedere, the orangery, and the palace stables. When I first walk through its gates

I am struck first by its symmetry and second by its grandeur. While I’m here, the water basin leading to the palace of the Upper half is undergoing some major work

but the great hole in the ground does not distract me from the sheer grandeur of the building which now serves as a museum where you will find a fantastic and large Klimt collection, including the iconic The Kiss…

There are multiple fountains

and numerous gardens

that separate the Upper from the Lower Belvedere:

And it is only from one end of the compound to the other that it is possible to take a panoramic view of the ornate buildings and its surroundings:

I don’t know if you can tell from my photos how huge the grounds are–it is a long, romantic walk from start to finish–and it simply like walking in a postcard. Vienna is full of incredible, enormous buildings, as I will reveal to you in days to come, but the Belvedere is where dreams and reality meet. If it is possible to fall in love with a building, then let the Belvedere be my one and only.