Whichever Danube river cruise itinerary you book, you’ll be sure to visit Austria’s architecturally beautiful capital, Vienna. There’s so much history to explore on a tour of its streets but one of the city’s most popular attractions and an enduring choice when it comes to river cruise excursions involves a journey a little way out of the city to Schonbrunn Palace. One of Vienna’s most popular tourist attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is set within expansive gardens and is most famous for being the former summer residence of the Habsburgs – historically one of the most important monarchies in Europe.
The Habsburgs
The House of Habsburg was a dominant force in Europe between the years of 1276, when Rudolph of Habsburg became Austria’s ruler and 1740, when Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI died. Members of the house occupied the throne of the Holy Roman empire continuously for over 300 years, producing a succession of kings in such countries as England, Germany, Portugal and Spain and the Habsburgs continued to rule Austria until 1918, when the last Habsburg ruler, Charles I, renounced Austria’s role in affairs of state and a new republican government took his place. The Habsburgs were famous for conquering through marriage and members were particularly successful at intermarrying into other royal houses, which probably goes some way to explaining why they were successful for so long.
The Palace
When you hear the phrase ‘summer residence’ you’ll perhaps picture a serene lake house or perhaps a sedate country mansion. What you probably won’t picture is a sprawling 1,441-room palace, brimming with history. That’s what the Habsburg’s former summer residence is and because they were around for so long, there’s so much here to explore. Obviously, all these rooms are not open to the public, though there’s still plenty to see. The briefest tour you can take is the Imperial tour, which visits 22 rooms, while a more extensive tour takes you through 40 of them. On both tours you’ll receive an audio guide which will explain the history of each room you visit. There’s plenty of gold to behold, with the majority of rooms being built in the Rococo style and it’s possible to see the bedroom, study and audience chamber of Emperor Franz Joseph, as well as the Empresses bedroom, study and dressing room. The Great Gallery certainly lives up to its name, boasting chandeliers and ceiling frescos, while the panelled Millions Room offers a different kind of elegance.
The Gardens
Whether you want to explore the Palace or not, it’s free to enter the gardens, which are actually a complex of sculpted greenery and structures and a popular attraction in themselves. The space between the palace and its Sun Fountain is called the Great Parterre, and it’s this sight that’ll greet you when you first arrive at the palace. It’s an impressive sight and is lined by 32 different sculptures of deities and figures from Greek history and mythology. The French Garden is a large part of this area but the grounds also boast a Japanese garden, Rose garden, Botanical garden, maze, orangery and Palm House. A focal point of the gardens is the Gloriette; an ornamental structure designed to represent the Habsburg’s power which sits atop a 200-foot hill. Today it houses a café and offers visitors a great view of the city. The Roman Ruin is another popular attraction within the grounds, though it’s important to note that it isn’t as old you may think, but is actually a skilfully designed and constructed folly, built in 1778, when it was fashionable to romanticise about empires past and remember them in stone.
The Zoo
Founded in 1752, Zoo Vienna, which can be found within the grounds of Schonbrunn Palace, is the world’s oldest zoo and a great place to visit if you’re spending a full day there. It’s been voted Europe’s best in 2008 and 2010 and offers visitors every kind of animal – from pandas and tigers to ants and bats – in spacious enclosures which are designed to help you get much closer to the animals they contain. The zoo’s perfect if you’re travelling to Schonbrunn with the kids but a delight even if you’re not and the facilities are excellent, with plenty of places available to grab a bite to eat or relax with a Viennese coffee.
By Simon Brotherton
Google
