Feb 26
2009

When in Vienna, one of the sights any history buff must see is the Schonbrunn Palace.  It’s one of the top cultural locations in Austria, and it’s an incredible sight.  The palace was actually built to be Austria’s answer to the French palace of Versailes, so you know it’s going to be massive and opulent.  However, because the Austrian rulers lacked the funds that the French had, Schonbrunn isn’t quite as large as Versailes.  That doesn’t mean it’s not impressive, though. Schonbrunn was the home of Emperor Franz Joseph, one of the most important historical figures.  He was born at the palace in 1830 and lived most of his later life there.  While the palace was privately owned for quite some time, it eventually became the property of the government in 1918.  While the building was used for official business for some time, today, the palace and its gardens are mainly a tourist attraction and historical sight. You can take a tour of the palace and see amazing bedrooms, huge ballrooms, and more.  In Empress Maria Theresia’s apartment, you’ll see the room in which Mozart, age six, played for the Empress and her ladies in waiting.  While wandering amid the crystal chandeliers, paintings, and other artwork, you may want to pace yourself—Schonbrunn Palace has 1441 different rooms! Outside, you’ll find the Tirolian garden, an orchard and farm that surround Schonbrunn and its park.  The palm house, a tropical greenhouse, features plants from rain forests from around the world, and it’s one of the few places in the world that you can see certain plants together. The Schonbrunn Palace can take up an entire day of sightseeing, so when you head out from your hotel in the morning, plan to spend the whole day at the palace exploring its many rooms and the surrounding gardens.

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