A palace garden that faces north — until the light comes from the west

Belvedere Upper Palace faces north over a formal garden and the city. The classic shot — looking south from the garden toward the palace with St. Stephen's Cathedral in the distance — is a north-facing view. It works in overcast conditions and in late afternoon when the western sun catches the palace facade from the left. Leopoldsberg, a hill 300 meters above the Danube northwest of the city, gives a view down the Danube valley with the Wienerwald behind you. The Naschmarkt, an outdoor market along the Linke Wienzeile canal, runs east–west under Jugendstil apartment buildings — a morning market that wraps up by early afternoon. Golden hour at 48°N runs around 45 to 50 minutes in summer. The Vienna Woods and Wienerwald offer forest light that the inner city cannot.