I had to save review #700 for something special: Schönbrunn Palace, that masterpiece of the Hapsburg reign!
It's astounding to me that the Schönbrunn didn't become a UNESCO World Heritage Site until the 1990s. Perhaps that's when the WHS program started? The palace is... well, this is the type of place that the would impress any monarch, let alone us common folk. I have an affinity for the place not only because of its history and its beauty, but because of its association with Empress Sisi. She's a fascinating woman and she also was the favorite cousin (and almost-wife) of my favorite monarch, King Ludwig II of Bavaria.
A Baroque marvel with interiors in rococo style, the summer palace of the Hapsburg monarchs has almost 1,500 rooms. That's rooms, not bedrooms, but still... can you imagine leaving your gloves (or, more likely in the 21st century, your mobile phone) in one room and then remembering 10 minutes on your walk to the other end of the palace that you'd left it? Only about 3% of those rooms are open for visiting, however.
And yes, I said summer palace. This was not the main residence of the royal family. The grounds upon which Schloss Schönbrunn currently stands were initially used as a hunting lodge after coming into Hapsburg possession. From those humble beginnings, one of the most spectacular palaces in Europe (even today) was born, with extensive, exquisitely manicured gardens in addition to the palace itself. Versailles gets a lot of attention, but I don't think you could be disappointed in spending your day on a visit to this rival palace.
Plan to spend a good chunk of time here. I'd highly recommend a tour, audio tour, detailed guidebook, or something; I didn't have one on my visit and I'm still disappointed over 10 years later that I know I didn't learn as much as I would have wanted! There are several different ticket options so hopefully there's one at your price point; the gardens are not necessarily included, so select your ticket wisely. It's also the most visited attraction in Austria, so you'll want to plan accordingly and be patient. I would like to visit Vienna again sometime (keeping my fingers crossed I'll win a ticket to one of the New Years' concerts of the Vienna Philharmonic, or maybe visit to attend the opera ball!) and I will be visiting Schönbrunn again, with the ticket that includes EVERYTHING, blocking off my day, detailed audioguide at the ready and wearing my most comfortable tennis shoes so I can soak it all in. read more