Impossible to go to Vienna and not dedicate at least one day a day par excellence of power and symbol of the city’s wealth during the Habsburg period: once it belonged to Eleonora Gonzaga, Maria Teresa and Sissi, the Schönbrunn Palace is a prodigy of perfection and balance of forms which – from the first glance – is able to transport you to an ancient fairy world made of crinolines, lace, velvet and incredible pomp. Moreover, in its almost fifteen hundred rooms, some of the most important historical events of all time took place: the Congress of Vienna, for example, but also the first public concert of example a very small Mozart and the definitive decline of the monarchy in 1918. So here are some information on what not to miss, including unmissable rooms and outdoor attractions in the garden.

A brief history of the Schönbrunn Palace

The large portion of land in the peripheral area of ​​Hietzing on which Schönbrunn Palace currently stands was open countryside for a long time and – before becoming the patrimony of the mayor of Vienna – the area only housed a small monastery and many mills. However, things began to change starting in 1569, when Maximilian II bought the entire property with the aim of using it as a hunting lodge. To make it a sumptuous castle, however, was the wife of Ferdinand II Eleonora Gonzaga in 1642: in that year, in fact, Schönbrunn began to be used as a place of retreat for the Habsburgs during the summer and as a center of political life and of court. This was the period of greatest splendor of the palace: following the death of Maria Theresa, the structure remained uninhabited for several years before being chosen by Francesco Giuseppe as a symbol of a success of the Empire. At the fall of the monarchy, however, the residence passed into the hands of the Republic of Austria and, subsequently, to the private company that still manages it today, regulating the influx of millions of visitors who – from all over the world – come to Vienna to discover something more about the site declared a UNESCO heritage in 1996.

Schönbrunn Palace: the most beautiful rooms

Visiting the Schönbrunn Palace means delving into the years of greatest splendor of Vienna and all of Austria, taking the opportunity to tread the stage that hosted the main protagonists of the Empire. Not all the rooms, however, are currently open to visitors: of the over a thousand built, in fact, only forty are open to the public. Among these, the unmissable are certainly: the Breakfast Room, one of the private rooms of Sissi and Francesco Giuseppe overlooking the garden; the Hall of Mirrors, where Mozart gave a performance when he was only six years old; the Great Gallery, seat of the Congress of Vienna and point where the splendor reaches the highest levels among mirrors, frescoes, crystals and immense chandeliers; the Chinese Room, connected to Maria Theresa’s private rooms by a small door, is equipped with a mechanism that at the time allowed a set table to appear from the floor; the Ceremonial Hall, with paintings by Martin van Meytens; Napoleon’s Room where Napoleon himself slept; the Room of the Millions, whose name refers to the money spent on furniture; the very rich theater, built at the end of the first half of the eighteenth century.

The gardens of the Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunn Palace is also inextricably linked to its immense garden which today the visitor can access for free every day of the year. in continuity with the richness of the castle and its rooms, this outdoor area is decorated with dozens of fountains, marble statues, historical monuments and – of course – mantles of grass positioned by tall trees. Conceived for the Viennese people right from the start, here citizens can enjoy long walks surrounded by greenery and, even today, it is an essential stop to be included in their visit to the city. The place is also home to the oldest zoological park in the world, still considered one of the most beautiful zoos in Europe.

Among its narrow streets it is necessary to stop at: the Gloriette, built to commemorate the war of the Austrian succession and the seven years’ war; the Grande Parterre, with its thirty-two classical statues; the Fountain of Neptune, symbol of the Habsburg monarchy; the fake Roman ruins, built ad hoc due to the then prevailing neoclassical aesthetics; the Obelisk Fountain; the Beautiful Source; the large Aviary designed for the night rest of birds; the Serra delle Palme; the House of the Desert; the Garden of the Crown Prince; the maze; the Orangery.

Useful information for a visit to Schönbrunn Palace

To reach Schönbrunn Palace from the center of Vienna, you can use the many public transport – surface or underground – which stop near the entrance: the U4 underground line, tram 10 or bus 10A. The castle is open every day from 9:00 to 17:30 and, as regards tickets, various tours are made available to the visitor: the Imperial Tour, for example, which gives access to twenty-two rooms, or the Grand Tour which, on the other hand, allows you to visit all forty rooms open to the public. The garden – as mentioned – is free, but a commission is payable for some of its attractions: these are the Labyrinth, the Crown Prince’s Garden, the Orangerie and the Gloriette. In any case, to find the solution that best suits your needs, the advice is to visit the official site of the palaceall the proposals offered and proceed with the purchase of admission tickets directly from there.