Schönbrunn Palace – the former summer residence of the Habsburgs. How far is Schönbrunn Palace from the city center? Who used the palace the most? What historical events took place here? What can you see here?
The Habsburgs spent the summer months outside the city center, at Schönbrunn Palace, around 25 minutes by subway from the city center. Empress Elisabeth lived here and loved taking long walks through the baroque gardens and up to the Gloriette, a viewing terrace with a beautiful view of the city.
In the 18th century, the ruler Maria Theresa and her 16 children (the most famous daughter was Marie-Antoinette) in particular used the palace with its 1,441 rooms. 45 of these rooms including the Great and Small State Halls in rococo style, can be visited today.
Schönbrunn is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
On October 13, 1762 , the imperial couple Maria Theresa and Franz I Stephan as well as twelve archdukes and archduchesses listened to Mozart and his older sister Nannerl play the piano and violin in the Hall of Mirrors at Schönbrunn Palace . The self-confident 6-year-old Wolfgang enchanted everyone with his playing. Court composer Christoph Wagenseil recognized: “You are a real musician!”
Anecdotes say that the Mozart children played with the archdukes and archduchesses after the concert and romped through the Hall of Mirrors. “Wolfie jumped on the empress’s lap, got her around the neck and kissed her goodbye“. In short, we were with her from three o’clock to six o’clock,” wrote Leopold Mozart to his host 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 Great Gallery is still used for large events.
Khrushchev and Kennedy met here during the Cold War disarmament negotiations in 1961. Austria celebrated its accession to the EU in 1995 with a gala dinner in Schönbrunn.
Schönbrunn Palace Park
Schönbrunn Palace Park is an experience in itself. What makes it so special is that it is an
The Orangery in Schönbrunn, one of the largest next to Versailles, offers a festive setting for classical concerts, congresses and events of all kinds. The famous musical contest between Mozart and Salieri took place here.
The Children’s Museum invites the little ones to feel and dress like princes and princesses. The Schönbrunn puppet theater is also very popular with children.
Insider info: The Habsburg show at Time Travel Vienna was modeled on the marionette theater in Schönbrunn.
The nearby Wagenburg displays the magnificent carriages from the imperial era. You can also stay, get married and spend your honeymoon at Schönbrunn Palace . This is a unique imperial experience and is particularly popular with Asian guests.
The color of Schönbrunn Palace is a very special yellow – called “Schönbrunn yellow” – Schönbrunn yellow determined the colors of the imperial house andits flag. Historically, it stands for the splendor and expansion of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy. The colors of the Holy Roman Empire already had this shade of yellow, which later also became characteristic of the German flag. Even today, this color can still be found on official buildings from Moldavia to Krakow, albeit mostly yellowed and faded. The castle has changed color several times over the years and was already light blue and pink.
Time Travel Tip:Schönbrunn Palace – Austria’s most visited attraction– is at its busiest very early in the morning. We recommend making an online reservation to avoid long waiting times. Café Residenz and Jausenstation Landtmann offer some of the best apple strudel in Vienna.
More info: www.schoenbrunn.at
Image source: https://pixabay.com/de/photos/architektur-wien-schloss-sch%C3%B6nbrunn-3652253/
