No special ticket is needed for Klimt: “The Kiss” belongs to the permanent collection, and every Upper Belvedere ticket includes it. The real art is seeing the painting without thirty heads in front of you.
The essentials for Klimt visitors
- Ticket
- Upper Belvedereno add-on needed
- Room
- 2nd upper floorsignposted
- Photography
- Allowedno flash, no tripod
- Quietest time
- First hourfrom 9 am
- Time needed
- 45 minall Klimt rooms
- Year-round
- Yesnever on loan
Where exactly “The Kiss” hangs
The painting hangs on the second upper floor of the Upper Belvedere, among the Vienna-around-1900 rooms, in a darkened space with dedicated lighting. The route: grand staircase all the way up, then follow the signs – you usually hear the room before you see it.
The Belvedere holds the largest collection of Klimt paintings in the world, with the golden works at the centre of the hang. Rearrangements happen, but “The Kiss” always stays on the second floor. confirm current room number on site
The best hour in front of the painting
| Time | Scene in the Klimt room |
|---|---|
| 9:00–9:45 | Often fewer than ten people. Minutes of unobstructed viewing. |
| 10:00–11:30 | Groups arrive; the first selfie cluster forms. |
| 11:30–15:00 | Three to four rows deep. Frontal view takes patience. |
| 15:00–17:00 | Slowly easing. |
| 17:00–close | Second good window – especially on summer evenings. |
The crowd stands dead centre. From the left side of the room the gold catches raking light – revealing the relief texture of the ornament that vanishes head-on. The best spot is rarely the middle one.
What you see in front of the original
Reproductions prepare you badly, because “The Kiss” is not a flat image: Klimt combined oil paint with real gold and silver leaf and built the ornament up in relief. In the room, the painting changes with every step you take.
- The size surprises – 180 by 180 centimetres, a perfect square, larger than expected.
- Two languages of ornament – rectangles on his robe, circles and blossoms on hers: Klimt separates the figures with pattern, not line.
- The precipice – the flower meadow ends at an edge; the kneeling figures balance on the brink. Most visitors miss it.
- Byzantium in Vienna – Klimt brought the gold-ground idea back from the mosaics of Ravenna; the icon-like aura is deliberate.
The painting dates from 1908–09, at the height of the Golden Period. The museum – then the Moderne Galerie – bought it in 1908, before it was even finished, straight from the Kunstschau exhibition. It has never changed buildings since.
Work data per the Belvedere collection catalogue (belvedere.at).
The other Klimts in the building
“The Kiss” draws the crowd, but the surrounding collection explains why Klimt is more than gold. In the same rooms hang, among others:
- “Judith” (1901) – the first golden painting: fiercer, more erotic, framed by his brother’s workshop.
- Portraits of Viennese society – including Fritza Riedler, Klimt’s answer to Velázquez.
- Attersee landscapes – the square summer paintings, almost pointillist, entirely without gold.
- Late works – looser brush, unbroken colour; the direction cut short by his death in 1918.
Right next door: Egon Schiele (“The Family”, “Death and the Maiden”) and Oskar Kokoschka – the generation that translated Klimt’s decor into nervous energy. The full collection: paintings at the Belvedere.
Why the painting never travels
Museums worldwide keep asking; the Belvedere keeps declining – for decades now. The reason is conservation: gold and silver leaf react badly to changes in climate and vibration, and the transport risk is considered unacceptable. To see “The Kiss”, you come to Vienna. That’s not a marketing line – it’s the core fact of planning this trip: there is no second venue.
A Klimt route in 45 minutes
- 9:00 – entryTake the first slot, clear the cloakroom quickly, climb to the second floor.
- 9:10 – “The Kiss”First head-on, then from the left in raking light. Ten quiet minutes before the first groups arrive.
- 9:25 – the Golden Period“Judith” and the portraits in the adjoining section.
- 9:40 – Schiele and KokoschkaThe contrast sharpens both positions.
- 9:55 – your choiceLinger with the Attersee landscapes – or head down to the Marble Hall while the morning is still calm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss” displayed?
At the Upper Belvedere in Vienna, on the second upper floor among the Vienna 1900 rooms. It is part of the permanent collection and on view all year.
Do I need a separate ticket for “The Kiss”?
No. Every Upper Belvedere ticket includes the Klimt rooms. There is no add-on or special ticket.
Can I photograph “The Kiss”?
Yes, without flash or tripod. Around midday expect to wait for a clear view.
When is the Klimt room emptiest?
In the first hour after opening from 9 am, and in the last hour before closing. The peak crush runs from 11:30 am to 3 pm.
How many Klimt paintings does the Belvedere own?
The Belvedere holds the world’s largest collection of Klimt paintings – including “The Kiss”, “Judith” and several Attersee landscapes. The exact number on display varies with the hang.
Is “The Kiss” ever loaned out?
No. For conservation reasons the painting never leaves the Upper Belvedere – the gold-leaf surfaces cannot tolerate transport. It can only be seen in Vienna.
Is “Adele Bloch-Bauer” also at the Belvedere?
No. The “Golden Adele” hung at the Belvedere until 2006 and is now at the Neue Galerie in New York. At the Belvedere you’ll see “The Kiss” and “Judith”, among others.