Schoenbrunn Palace and Gardens in Vienna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the most popular tourist attraction in the city. Easy to access, you are able to take the subway directly to Schoenbrunn and once you step out of the subway, the palace is hard to miss. In the world of the Habsburgs monarchy, size does matter. This grand summer palace has 1,441 Rococo designed rooms, and a 435 acre garden(s) – so plan to spend a whole day here if you want to wander the grounds.
The palace offers tours inside the elegantly designed Rococo rooms with an audio tour which is quite informative (but no photos allowed!). I was really impressed with my 40 minute audio tour of the palace interior and felt like it was worth the 10.50 Euro price tag. However I really enjoyed wandering around the expansive gardens at my own pace with my camera. You can follow the crowds past the Neptune Fountain and up the slope to the Gloriette (arcaded structure), or you can wander off and ‘get lost’ in the woods where you’ll discover wildlife, as well as sculptures in odd places in the woods. While I was there I saw a multitude of runners in the park as well locals taking a stroll through the more secluded areas. It’s a wonderful place to take a picnic lunch and sit and enjoy the vast view of all of Vienna.
Sherry Ott is a refugee from corporate IT who is now a long term traveler, blogger, and photographer. She’s a co-founder of Briefcasetobackpack.com, a website offering career break travel inspiration and advice.
Additionally, she runs an around the world travel blog writing about her travel and expat adventures at Ottsworld.com.com.
