Schönbrunn Palace – the former summer residence of the Habsburgs
How far is Schönbrunn Palace from the center? Who used the castle the most? What historical events took place here? What can you see here?
The Habsburgs spent the summer months outside the center, at Schönbrunn Palace, about 25 minutes by subway from the city center. Empress Elisabeth lived here and loved hour-long walks through the baroque gardens and up to the Gloriette, a panoramic terrace with a beautiful view of the city.
Especially the ruler Maria Theresa with her 16 children (the most famous daughter was Marie- Antoinette) used in the 18th century. the castle with its 1,441 rooms. 45 these roomsincluding the Great and Small State Rooms in rococo style , can be visited today.
Schönbrunn is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
On October 13, 1762 , in the Hall of Mirrors at Schönbrunn Palace , the imperial couple Maria Theresa and Franz I Stephan as well as twelve archdukes and archduchesses listened to Mozart and his older sister Nannerl perform on piano and violin . The self-confident 6-year-old Wolfgang enchanted everyone with his playing. Court composer Christoph Wagenseil recognized, “You’re a real musician!”
Anecdotes say that after the concert the Mozart children played with the archdukes and archduchesses and romped through the Hall of Mirrors. ” Wolferl jumped onto the empress’s lap, got her around the neck and kissed her righteously. In short, we were with her from three o’clock to six o’clock,” writes Leopold Mozart to his landlord and patron Lorenz Hagenauer in Salzburg.
The imperial family (Maria Theresa and Franz Stephan had 16 children, 11 daughters and 5 sons) met in the Great and Small Galleries for large receptions and family celebrations. The large gallery is still used for large events.
Khrushchev
and
Kennedy
met here in the course of Cold War disarmament negotiations in 1961. Austria celebrated its accession to the EU in 1995 with a gala dinner at Schönbrunn.
Schönbrunn Palace Park is an experience in itself. The special feature is that it is an unchanged baroque landscape garden from the 18th century . It is freely accessible from early morning until sunset and is popular with locals for walking and running . There are also paid parts, such as the Orangery, the Crown Prince Rudolf Garden and the Maze. A panoramic cable car takes those less inclined to exercise to all parts of the castle and garden complex.
The Orangery at Schönbrunn, one of the largest next to Versailles, provides a festive setting for classical concerts, conventions and events of all kinds. The famous musical contest between Mozart and Salieri already took place here.
The Children’s Museum invites the little ones to feel and dress like a prince and princess for once. The Schoenbrunn Marionette Theater is also very popular with children. Small
Insider info: The Habsburg show at Time Travel Vienna was modeled after the puppet theater at Schönbrunn.
The nearby carriage house displays the magnificent car riages from the imperial era. At Schönbrunn Palace you can also stay, get married and spend your honeymoon . This is a unique imperial experience and especially popular with Asian guests.
The color of Schönbrunn Palace is a very special yellow – called “Schönbrunn Yellow”- The Schönbrunn Yellow determined the colors of the imperial house andits flag . It
historically stands for the splendor and spread of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy. The colors of the Holy Roman Empire already had this shade of yellow, which later became characteristic for the German flag as well. Even today, this paint can be found on official buildings from Moldova to Krakow, albeit largely yellowed and peeled off. The lock has changed color several times over time and was already light blue and pink.
Time Travel Tip:
Very early in the morning is the least busy at Schönbrunn Palace – the most visited sight in Austria. We recommend online reservation to avoid long waiting times. Café Residenz and Jausenstation Landtmann offer one of the best apple strudels in Vienna.
More info: www.schoenbrunn.at
