

The 2 billion visitors per year confirm these efforts just the same as the reached top positions at comparisons with other zoos underline the popularity. The focus is appropriate animal keeping according the latest findings.

Directly after passing the Maria Theresia Gate you can find it at the narrower path on the right side.Īlthough the Zoo, with the founding year 1752, is supposed to be the oldest still existing Zoo worldwide, you do not recognize this age at the animal enclosures. At this route you have the chance to take a glance at the -Kleine Gloriette. Because this entrance is on the same elevation as the Gloriette you are already in the highest section of the gardens and you avoid the climb. From there you only need to walk a few minutes along the Hohenbergstraße to reach the Maria Theresia Gate. The bus line 8A goes from the traffic junction Meidling to the station Stranitzkygasse. If you prefer not to climb up to this hill you have the following possibility via a side entrance which is well reachable by public transport. The staircase is only open from the beginning of April till the end of October and you need to buy a ticket. From there you can enjoy the view at the Schönbrunn Palace. After the climb up to the hill you are able to rest on all weather conditions in an imperial environment and try one of the Viennese delicacy.įor all who still intend to get higher there are stairs which you can walk up to the viewing platform at the roof of the Gloriette. In the middle of the Gloriette, which was already glazed on behalf of Maria Theresa, a coffee house with terrace is located nowadays. The building should remember the victory of Austria during the Seven Year War in the battle of Kolin. The Gloriette was constructed in 1775 and is located in the south side of the park on a hill. There you can find also the further described highlights. This area is the center of the palace gardens where large parts can be accessed without charge. It is a vast space with accurate designed flower beds which are set up in baroque style. The Great Parterre is located directly in front of the palace. At each you can explore 40 rooms in around 50 minutes. You can select between a guided tour and tour with audio guide. The Grand Tour is an excellent choice if you have further time and interest. The Imperial Tour takes usually at least 30 minutes. At the presented laid out dinner table you can discover porcelain and silver from the imperial household. The official and the private banquets were held there. The Marie Antoinette Room was the dining room for the imperial family. In this room the emperor held up to hundred audiences per day. The Walnut Room impresses with its walnut panels and the gold-plated wall decorations in rococo style, which are still the originals. Kennedy and Nikita Chruschtschow in the year 1961. Also in the recent past historically important meetings occurred there, like the meeting between John F.

Once it was the center for imperial celebrations and today there are still events taking place there. At the lowest priced State Apartments Tour you have the opportunity to explore some popular rooms of the palace with the help of an audio guide or a tour description.Īt this tour you can see for example the Great Gallery, which impresses with golden stucco, ceiling frescoes and gold-plated chandeliers. You can choose out of three chargeable tour possibilities. Although only a small part of the 1441 rooms are publicly accessible for visitors, you should not miss this opportunity. If you are interested in history, splendor and imperial lifestyle, you should definitely visit Schönbrunn Palace. For the visit of the zoo you should reserve additionally at least half a day. Depending on your interest, you should calculate up to a whole day for your visit of the palace and the gardens.
#Palace in vienna austria free#
In this free city-walks Top 10 Highlights listing you will find brief info and tips to the different attractions for young and elderly. That includes, among others, the Gloriette, the Neptune Fountain, the Roman Ruin and the Obelisk Fountain. Along with this, several of the well known attractions of the spacious palace gardens came into being. The present appearance is mainly influenced through the building activities organized by Empress Maria Theresa in the 18th century. But they constructed the biggest palace in Austria, which served as an imperial summer residence in Vienna. The plans to build a counterpart to Versailles were never carried out. The origin of the history of Schönbrunn lies in a hunting lodge from the 17th century. About 4 million visitors to the palace are counted annually. In any case Schönbrunn is one of the most visited sights in Austria. Together with the zoological garden the Schönbrunn Palace and the bordering park area belong to the most popular touristic targets in Vienna.
