Vienna
Schonbrunn Palace - Leopold I started the
building of this magnificent Palace. Karl VI used
it as a hunting lodge. But when Maria Theresa ascended
the throne in 1740, she moved in and made it her permanent
home.
Schonbrunn is a must during any
visit to Vienna. It is a little outside the Inner
Ring to the West, but very accessible. Get the U4
(Green) Underground to “Schloss Schonbrunn”
(about 6 stops from Karlsplatz) or the Yellow Line,
U3 to and when you come out of the station just follow
the signposts. When you arrive at Schonbrunn (a 7-10
minute walk) you will have to decide what guided tour
to take, etc – there are numerous options. You
might first visit the magnificent gardens. Entry is
free. These Gardens were always open to the public
from the time of Empress Marie Theresa. Now the Gardens
are a favourite venue for Viennese joggers and Nordic
Power walkers.
There
is lots to see at Schonbrunn and
there are guided tours for every taste, and length
of time, plus combined tickets for different areas
– A Grand Tour of the Palace, A tour of The
Privy Gardens, The Gloriette Panorama Terrace, the
Maze and Labyrinth, the Vienna Zoo (Tiergarten Schonbrunn,
the oldest zoo in the world) the Schonbrunn Palm House,
The Carriage Museum, as well as Guided Tours of 22
rooms in Schonbrunn including the private apartments
of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elizabeth (Empress
Sissi).
In Schonbrunn Palace itself, you
can see The Napoleon Room (once Maria Theresa’s
bedroom) where Napoleon stayed, the Hall of Mirrors
where Mozart first played for royalty, Emperor Franz
Josef’s bedroom, The magnificent ballrooms (you
can almost hear the Strauss waltzes), The Great Hall
(a truly magnificent salon, etc. You can also combine
a visit to Schonbrunn with a Classical Concert in
the evening.
At present the front façade of Schonbrunn
is being restored and this recalls the damage done
during the second World War when the Palace was hit
by 270 bombs and for two years (1945-7) was headquarters
of the British Army of Occupation.
