A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Schonbrunn Palace is the most toured tourist attraction in Austria. This palace served the Habsburgs as a summer home for many centuries. The palace embodies the interests, tastes, and life of the Habsburg monarchs. The state and residential rooms offer an authentic reflection of the imperial lifestyle with their original furnishings as well as decorations. The park along with the surrounding gardens give the place a representation of Baroque art often offering a great recreational area for tourists.

  History of Schonbrunn Palace and Facts

In 1569, the Schonbrunn estate was possessed by Habsburg through Maximillian II. Many successors of the estate never developed it and for a long time it was used as hunting ground. Emperor Leopold I begun the work of building Schonbrunn Palace when he commissioned Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, a Baroque architect to construct a hunting lodge. The lodge was to be build for his son Joseph I. Sadly, in 1711, Joseph died before the completion of the lodge. The construction work was halted for many years.  Wilhelmine Amalie, the widow to Joseph, resided in the unfinished palace until 1728 when it was acquired by Emperor Charles VI. Later, Charles gave the palace to Maria Theresa, his daughter. Theresa loved the palace and its gardens. The hunting lodge was later turned into a palatial residence under the influence of Maria Theresa. It soon became a major location for political and judicial life. The ownership of the palace went to the hands of the Republic of Austria after the monarch ended in 1918.

The palace has 1,441 rooms but only 45 are accessible to visitors. The interior features the Rococo style. As a six year-old prodigy, Mozart composed music within the palace’s mirrored hall. Maria Theresa held secret conferences in the Round Chinese Cabinet with Prince Kaunitz, the State Chancellor. Also, Napoleon held conferences within the palace, particularly the Vieux Lacque Room. The Millions Room is one of the beautiful Rococo rooms that are still in existence and it features rosewood panels and decorations comprising of valuable miniatures from Persia and India.

The Neptune Fountain, the crowning feature of the Great Parterre is found at the end of the pathway. It was common for the Neptune to drive across the sea during the 16^th and 18^th century and the Neptune Fountain is a symbol of the monarchs showing their control to the destiny of the nation. Besides, there are vast, sloping lawns that lead to the Gloriette. When you access the top area, you can have a great view of not only the palace but also the city.  A mighty eagle that is perched on the tip of a globe crowns the Glorriette. You will notice that part of the wing on the east was damaged in 1945 by a bomb, however, it was reconstructed later after the war.

Schonbrunn Gardens

The Schonbrunn Palace park was first accessible to the public around 1779. The park has a vast area that is about 1.2 km east to west and about 1.0 km north to south. The gardens host many features which make it a perfect recreational space for local and foreign visitors. A wide pathway known as the Great Parterre is found in the area. The path is graveled and broken up by about eight sections comprising of well-manicured, symmetrical gardens referred to as the Crown Prince Garden.

Schonbrunn Palace Concert

Orangery at Schonbrunn Palace is a well-known cultural element that showcases artistic and musical talents. It is here where the great Mozart took part in a music contest against the Antonio Salieri, the imperial court composer in the 18th century. Visiting the Orangery gives you an opportunity to listen to Schonbrunn Palace Orchestra performing music of Mozart and Strauss. The musical concerts are a fun considering that the palace orchestra comprises of singers and ballet dancers. If you upgrade to your ticket to VIP seating, a glass of sparkling wine is offered to you. A 2-hour concert at Vienna’s Orangery at Schonbrunn Palace is something you cannot afford to miss when you are in Schonbrunn Palace.

Schonbrunn Palace – Timings

Admission to the concert starts at 08:00 p.m with the concert starting 30 minutes later at 08:30 p.m. At around 10:15 p.m, the evening out at Schonbrunn Palace concludes. If you are travelling by a taxis, you can pick one outside the Schonbrunn Palace Orangery. There is a subway that runs till midnight with intervals of five to eight minutes.

If you’re visiting the Orangery, you may want to know a thing or two. The confirmation is received when you book and the dress code is defined smart casual. The concert is not recommended to kids of 8 years old and under. The concerts may occasionally be moved without notice to the White Gold Room and Great Gallery or the Entrance Hall. If the concert is relocated or moved to these other venues, there is usually no ballet accompanying it.

On New Year’s Eve or 31^st December, the concerts begin at 7p.m and on January 1st they begin at 4:00 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m.  During different times of the year and depending on the specific attraction you are visiting, you may find that the times may change. So, find out the times when the attractions open in the palace.

Schonbrunn Palace – Entrance Fee (Tickets)

Schonbrunn Palace has its gates open daily including holidays like New Year’s Eve and Christmas. The gates are open at 6:30 am and you can access the park free during opening hours. If a visitor plans to visit the special attractions like the Privy Garden, the Maze, and the Orangery Garden, they have to purchase admission tickets for those locations. A Winter Pass that gives you access to four attractions for approximately one day costs you around € 35.00 for adults and € 20.00 for children aged 6 to 18 years. 

To avoid long queues, you would want to make your booking early to avoid inconveniencies. Remember that Schonbrunn Palace is the top visited site in Vienna. Unless specified, foods and drinks are excluded from the ticket price. Also, hotel pickups and drop offs are not included in the ticket prices. You may have to pay for cloakroom fees that is about 1 euro. Concert programs costs about 5 euros.

Schonbrunn Palace – Pictures