Expect fountains, fake ruins, statues, and walled gardens. Open to the public since 1779, the grounds conceal various architectural delights. The Federal authorities keep the large Schönbrunn park and gardens in immaculate condition, so you can enjoy over a square kilometre of tree-lined avenues, lawns, woods, and landscaped flowerbeds. ( Schloß Schönbrunn, Wien – part of the landscaped gardens) One wing of the palace now houses a Children’s Museum, which gives youngsters (and accompanying oldsters) a taste of life as a little Archduke or Archduchess.The Children’s Museum in Schönbrunn Palace

A mammoth collection of carriages, sedan chairs, and other modes of transport used by the Imperial family fills the WagenburgĪn exhibition inside also explores the life of Empress Elisabeth (the famous Sisi).This immersive VR journey focuses more on the history of the Habsburgs, though with some palace elements built in. The Schloss Schönbrunn virtual reality experience also takes place within the main palace building.Schönbrunn contains hundreds of rooms and you can visit a selection of the most spectacular ones on a palace tourĮach room hums with history follow in the footsteps of Napoleon, Mozart, and even President Kennedy, not to mention a truckload of Habsburg emperors and empresses.Once a summer residence out in the country, the growth of the city now means Schönbrunn represents an oasis of (relative) architectural and parkland tranquility in the midst of 21st-century Vienna. The current palace dates back to the 1740s, though a long history of extensions and rebuilding work followed. And, yes, I had to get up very early to get this people-free photo) ( Schloß Schönbrunn, Wien – the view from the gardens.

Schonbrunn palace vienna austria