The Habsburg Empire thrived for centuries and the Hofburg Palace was right at the heart of it. The Orangery hosts the world’s largest collection of Gustav Klimt’s paintings, including The Kiss – ideal if you’re visiting Vienna with kids who are into art. Tip: If you’re short on time or physically unable to walk up the hill, you can take the Schönbrunn train. The flowers had started to lose their summer sparkle when we visited in late October, but the autumn foliage provided a different kind of beauty. I haven’t been to Vienna and I’ll certainly revert to this post if I get the opportunity to go. The palace and gardens of Schönbrunn is a vivid illustration of the tastes, interests, and aspirations of the Habsburg monarchy from the 16th century to 1918. Today, it houses Belvedere’s permanent collection of masterpieces dating from the Middle Ages to the present. The crown jewels would be interesting to see. 5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT BELVEDERE PALACE. What an amazing array of palaces to visit in Vienna. The Café Restaurant Residenz is a typical Viennese coffee house. Every emperor added to the Imperial Palace, resulting in a sprawling complex with 2,600 rooms where almost 5,000 people still live and work. I adore the Gloriette – such follies of the rich, right?! All support is appreciated! Directly opposite the Vienna Opera, one of the best Viennese coffee house experiences awaits in Palais Todesco, home of the Café-Restaurant Gerstner. Profession: Travel blogger and freelance writer. It was made for Emperor Rudolf II in 1602 before it became the imperial crown in 1804. Inside the Schönbrunn Maze, you will also find the Labyrinthikon Playground where kids can stay entertained for hours. If you’re interested in gardening and have time, you’ll find Schönbrunn’s Orangery, Privy Garden, Palm House, and Desert Experience House worth visiting. Austrian Parliament. Upper Belvedere is home to the world’s largest collection of Gustav Klimt paintings, including the famous. If there’s one palace that’s easy to include in a Vienna weekend itinerary, it’s this one. At the centre of all the sparkle is the imperial crown of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation dating from the 10th century. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Former news journalist, mom, travel blogger, wife, photographer, nature lover. The last Austrian emperor Archduke Franz Josef lived here and during the Second World War the building was heavily bombed. Visiting the park is free, although an entrance fee is charged to some of the special attractions such as the maze, privy garden, orangery, palm house, and desert house. Legend has it that Empress Maria Theresa had the Gloriette built so that there was something beautiful on the horizon for royal eyes to rest on when looking out over the park. Belvedere Vienna. All the Schönbrunn Palace tours begin with the residential suites of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth in the west wing, continuing to the staterooms and Maria Theresa’s apartments. Click here for a more detailed list of the Viennese Palaces or Palais. There’s so much to admire on the way that you don’t even realise you’re climbing a hill. Although we can’t promise you a crown, we can promise you’ll be exploring some of the most beautiful historic grounds in Austria. An interactive museum in the west wing of Schönbrunn Palace where kids (and their parents) learn about the imperial family’s everyday life in a more entertaining way. You can see parts of it that have been transformed into a five-star hotel, and other areas that host concerts and events. Cake at Palais Todesco sounds good too! I haven’t been to Austria, besides the airport, but would love to go one day. You can tour the palace any time during the day before attending the concert, featuring two opera singers and a pair of ballet dancers, in the evening. Seeing the Gustav Klimt collection at Upper Belvedere would be a dream come true for me. Such an awesome post with lots of wonderful places to visit! The following 64 pages are in this category, out of 64 total. On our last visit, it took us the whole afternoon just for the grand tour of the palace, having fun in the maze, and walking to the Gloriette while exploring the gardens. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of Schönbrunn in the distance with the gardens in front and Vienna behind. What to see at the Imperial Palace Vienna, More Viennese palaces you didn’t know about, combine your Schönbrunn Palace tour with an evening concert, combination with a ticket for the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, concert, dinner and dance at Palais Auersperg, The best cities in Austria to visit this year, Linderhof Palace – How to Visit Neuschwanstein’s Pretty Little Sister. It’s certainly one of the gems of Vienna, and well worth getting a photo in front of. Furthermore, the famous Spanish Riding School remains a part of the Imperial Palace complex. When the Habsburg Empire was at its height, every noble family worth its blue blood was putting up a Baroque or neo-Classical palace to glorify their name. The grand tour also provides a glimpse of the elaborate 18th-century interiors introduced by Maria Theresa. In a magnificent garden setting, Linderhof is sometimes missed by tourists rushing past to its big brother, Neuschwanstein Castle, […], Attending one or more classical concerts in Vienna is an opportunity not to be missed by music lovers. We are sorry we missed the Vienna Boys Choir at the Imperial Palace. I enjoyed my tour of the imperial apartments, Sisi Museum, and the imperial silver collection without feeling rushed when M got sick and had to stay at the hotel with his dad. This is M’s favourite Schönbrunn Park attraction. My favourite part of the garden is the bit in front of Lower Belvedere. There are bouncing boards, a giant kaleidoscope, a “chiming climbing pole”, and a mathematical riddle to solve. Oh, and I did I mention the Van Gogh? The Imperial Palace reminds me of the Forbidden City in China, in that each ruler added on. You’ll need to set aside a chunk of time to visit as you’re likely to spend the entire day at this Vienna attraction. They were most likely taken from the Gloriette, the crown jewel of the Schönbrunn gardens. Kids and youngsters under 18 get free admission to Belvedere. Viennese Palais typically face the street, have a Baroque façade, and a courtyard with a staircase leading to the main floor. The Schönbrunn Maze is much more than just a labyrinth. Which are the best cities to visit in Austria? What started as a Menagerie founded by Emperor Franz I Joseph, is now the oldest zoo in the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Palaces_in_Vienna&oldid=708044821, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 March 2016, at 08:05. Discover top things to do in Vienna at night with Big Bus Tours, Baroque palaces, beautiful basilicas and State Opera performances. At the Belvedere you get two palaces in one: The Orangery and the Palace Stables. Sorry you missed the pandas in the zoo. Copyright © 2020 | MH Magazine WordPress Theme by MH Themes, Name: Linda de Beer That, to me, would be capturing the true beauty and history of this amazing country. You can easily spend an entire day at Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens. I would love to see a concert where Mozart actually performed (or even kissed the Queen). The two rows of statues along the hedges on either side of the Great Parterre (the formal garden landscape in front of the palace) look as though they’re “standing on guard” just for you. The Sisi Museum tries to distinguish between fact and myth by providing insight into the empress’ life through her poetry and personal belongings. It’s regarded as one of Europe’s most significant historical gardens in the French style. The palace and gardens of Schönbrunn is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This particular one isn’t open to the public, but it’s still worth a look. It ends up making for a huge complex. The can be bought individually for €12 or €20 in combination with a ticket for the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna. While entering the Menagerie was free when the Schönbrunn park opened to the public in 1779, tickets to other Schönbrunn attractions does not include zoo admission. No other city can claim to have been home to a more impressive list of composers. They are one of the reasons why Schönbrunn is one of the best photography locations in Vienna. Disclosure: My content is intended to help you plan the best trip to Austria. I love the focus on M’s face while eating the Sacher Torte, serious stuff obviously! It’s very obvious why Schönbrunn is one of the best places to visit in Vienna. I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, to help me maintain the blog if you click through and make a purchase. but this collection of porcelain, crystal, and gold- and silverware is quite impressive. Upper Belvedere is home to the world’s largest collection of Gustav Klimt paintings, including the … Such a lot of palaces there. If you’re planning on visiting both Viennese palaces of the Habsburgs, the Sisi Ticket can save you money. More useful information about Schönbrunn Palace tickets. Add it to your list of places to visit in Vienna. Free audio guides are available in 16 languages and printed tour descriptions in 21 languages. All attractions at Schönbrunn can be booked individually or in combination. This grand building encases the theatre museum of Vienna’s art gallery. You can’t help imagining yourself as a dinner guest. Bookmark for future travel! It was built in the early 18th century by Prince Eugene of Savoy, the commander-in-chief of the imperial army, as his summer residence. The cakes and tarts are delicious (we had the strawberry cupcake and a yogurt tart) and the waiters very professional in their formal black and white attire. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. If you’re lucky enough, you might get to see the richly decorated marble gallery when you visit. If you’re visiting Schönbrunn as a family, this is a great place to let the kids unwind after touring the palace. Here are some of the available options. For us, a visit to the maze and a stroll through the main park and gardens to the Gloriette were rewarding enough. The Belvedere Vienna consists of various buildings. The historic 1961-meeting between US president John F Kennedy and Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev took place in Schönbrunn Palace. Even a couple of hours for each of the palaces didn’t suffice. You can tour the Hall of Grotesques, Marble Gallery, and Golden Room for a fascinating insight into Baroque interior design. If you don’t like reading or holding something to your ear all the time, there are also guided tours by professional guides. Most of the articles in this category are about buildings that would be called "houses" or "mansions" in an English-speaking country. Like all the Viennese summer palaces, Belvedere’s gardens are something to write home about. This Viennese palace is steeped in history, especially musical history. Besides the Gustav Klimt collection, you can see important works by French Impressionists and an outstanding collection of Viennese Biedermeier paintings. Embassy of Russia in Vienna; Palais Ephrussi; Episcopal Palace, Vienna; Palais Epstein; Palais Erdődy; Palais Erzherzog Ludwig Viktor; Palais Eskeles; Palais Esterházy Schönbrunn is the most visited of the Viennese palaces and Austria’s most popular tourist attraction. In the end, this suited me well because I could skim through the boring parts. The Gloriette reflection is beautiful. Standing proud on a 60-metre (200-feet) tall hill, Schönbrunn is a Baroque marvel and one of the most important architectural monuments in Austria. If you’re in Vienna for New Year, you can even ring in the New Year with a concert, dinner and dance at Palais Auersperg.