Gustav Klimt, dream and reality in Vienna’s fin de siècle (2.5h)
380 €
This two hour and a half private art nouveau experience is focused on the figure of Gustav Klimt, and his works to be found inside the Vienna Secession Building and in the museum located in the museum at the Upper Belvedere Palace. In the first building you will discover The Beethoven Frieze and in the second the best Klimt collection of oil paintings.
In 1902 Klimt created the spectacular Beethoven Frieze for an exhibition of the Secession movement. Written above the entrance to the building you can read the motto of the Secession association: To each time its art. To art its freedom.
Our guide will explain you the context of the Vienna in 1900 as Klimt was the first president of the Secession, the artist’s association that decided to withdraw from the Association of Austrian Artists.
With twenty-four works, the Belvedere holds the world’s largest collection of oil paintings by Gustav Klimt (1862–1918).
If you want to get to know the Art Nouveau works of Gustav Klimt and the environment in which he created his works, join us on our walk.
To book this Art Nouveau experience start by selecting the group size, the date of your tour on the calendar available below and after the time you want your tour to start. Reserve early to guarantee availability.
Departure time: 9am, 9.30am or 10am. Other options on request.
Price: 1 – 8 PAX = 380€.
For other departure times or group size, or any customization to your experience, please Contact Us by email. You can also WhatsApp/Call us at +34 667 823 001
Description
Itinerary
On this 2.5-hour walking and public transport tour your guide will show you the main masterpieces created by Gustav Klimt in Vienna and at the same time will help you to understand his works and his role as co-founder of the Secession movement in Vienna.
Your guide will meet in front of Secession, the icon of the Viennese Secession style. Originally conceived as an exhibition hall for the association in 1897/98, the building remains one of the best-known buildings in Vienna to this day.
Inside, you will discover The Beethoven Frieze, an impressive interpretation of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. It represents an illustration of the human desire for happiness in a suffering and tempestuous world in which one contends not only with external evil forces but also with internal weaknesses.
After visiting the Secession building and museum we will head to Belvedere. In this museum at the Upper Palace, we will see and learn about Gustav Klimt’s legendary painting “The Kiss” as well as major works by Schiele and Kokoschka.
Like much of Klimt’s work, “The Kiss” is undeniably erotic, but it is also profoundly tender. Inspired by Japanese mosaics and the universal appeal of romantic love, the painting uses the artist’s signature gold leaf to dizzying effect.
There are several links between this iconic artist and the Belvedere in Vienna, which houses the world’s greatest collection of Austrian art. Our specialised tour guide will explain to you them all.
You will discover two of the most impressive highlights of Viennese Art Nouveau, also called Jugendstil or Secession.
This private tour will be a journey back in time to Vienna’s 1900 with a focus on the museums where you can appreciate the best of Klimt.
Availability
Secession building is closed on Mondays, so we won’t perform the tour this day of the week. This private tour will take place from Tuesday to Sunday.
Please note that the opening hours of some buildings, and your group interests, will influence the order and content of the tour.
Pickup & Drop Off
Starting point is the Secession building near Karlsplatz or in your hotel (if located nearby).
We will end the tour in Belvedere Palace. At the end of the private tour our guide can recommend you a nice place to have a coffee and cake.
Exclusions
Payment for public transport. We recommend 24-hours Vienna ticket (approximately 8€ per person) BUY IT HERE.
Fees museum tickets (prices may change over time, so check links provided below for current prices):
- The Secession building
- Belvedere – Collection and Kiss by Gustav Klimt at the Upper Belvedere
Food or drinks.
Payment
The payment must be made by one person for the whole group, not individually.
Pay now by digital payment – when booking – the deposit. Please, if possible, select Direct bank transfer when doing the booking. You will pay directly through your bank’s website, so you won’t need to share your financial information. PayPal/Credit card are also available, but their high commissions are not helping our niche art nouveau project.
Pay later by cash – on the day of the tour – the rest of the tour. Please pay cash to our guide on the day of the private tour.
If you want to make full payment of the tour now, you can do by Direct bank transfer. Contact us providing of the group size, date and starting time and we will send you the confirmation and payment details.
Focus of the tour and other Vienna private tours
The focus of our tour is on the best works of Klimt in Vienna. This private tour includes lots of references to history, architecture, decorative, cultural art, literature and music of the fin de siècle.
While other tours don’t include interiors and show only facades, our tour is focused on museums and interiors and therefore on a deeper understanding of the style and the cultural background. CLICK HERE to discover all the private tours that we have for you.
We offer three alternative 2,5-hour private tours in Vienna, if you are interested to know more about them please go to the links below:
- Vienna Secession: Art and Design around 1900
- Otto Wagner – the pioneer of modern urbanism
- Steinhof Church – Otto Wagner’s Art Nouveau masterpiece
If you like this tour philosophy and you can spend the whole day visiting with us, we have a longer tour. For these lucky visitors we have a full day tour that may include Steinhof Church and a lunch in an art nouveau restaurant, amongst other additional sights. CLICK HERE for more information and Booking.
Art Nouveau in Vienna
Vienna had a higher density of conservative nobility than Budapest, the other co-capital of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, and this fact delayed the entrance of this new artistic movement in Vienna. It was not until 1896 that the painter Gustav Klimt and several other artists quit the conservative Künstlerhaus and founded a new art association called Secession, a name used by a popular building completed in 1898 and used by many of the members of this movement, artists like Otto Wagner or Josef Hoffman.
Reviews
In love with Art Noveau and art in general. The guide adapted the tour to what I asked for – very flexible
Mark Pitt, NYC
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