"Schoenbrunn palace, park and zoo" a Vienna Travel Page by PetraG

Schoenbrunn Palace is one of the most important cultural monuments in Austria and since the 1960s has also been one of the major tourist attractions in Vienna. Soon after the end of the monarchy the population of Vienna discovered the park as an attractive recreational area. Eventually the palace was also opened to the public, drawing around 1.5 million visitors annually. The park and all the other attractions at Schönbrunn together see a further 5.2 million visitors each year, giving a grand total of 6.7 million visitors to the imposing palace complex each year.
The palace has always belonged to the kings and cesars of the Habsburg family. The last living there were Franz Joseph II and his wife Elisabeth (Sissy). It's amazing to visit all the rooms and see how rich people have lived in former times. You'll be impressed by all the arts and decorations...
Schönbrunn Palace was not only an imperial residence and the setting for countless festivities, but also a place where famous artists and craftsmen from many different epochs created interiors of great beauty.
All the rooms in the palace have their own stories to tell, stories on the margins of great historical events which are indicative of the lifestyle, atmosphere and world view of the imperial era.
But be prepared that this will be a quite expensive trip. You have to pay for everything extra....

Opening hours
The state rooms of the palace are open all the year round.
1st April to 30th June 8.30 am - 5 pm
1st July to 31st August 8.30 am - 6 pm
1st September to 31st October 8.30 am - 5 pm
1st November to 31st March 8.30 am - 4.30 pm

More Info at:
www.schoenbrunn.at

The imperial Palace of Schönbrunn is one of the most important cultural monuments in Austria, a position it occupies by virtue of its long and colourful history. Protected by a preservation order, the whole ensemble, which includes the palace, the park with its fountains, statues and architectural features as well as the zoo, the oldest of its kind still in use in its original function, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List at the end of 1996.
The palace and its grounds form a unit and reflect each other, in correspondence with the Baroque notion of the princely palace, according to which architecture and Nature should interpenetrate. The Baroque layout of the gardens, together with the additions made during the last decade of Maria Theresa's life, have survived more or less intact and today still determine the characteristic appearance of the gardens at Schönbrunn.
The park at Schönbrunn Palace was opened to the public around 1779 and since than has provided a popular recreational area for the Viennese population and international visitors alike. Extending for 1.2 km from east to west and approximately one kilometre from north to south, it was placed together with the palace on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1996.

A perfect end of a day in Schoenbrunn will be a visit to the zoo. It'n an extraordinary one, becaus of it's baroq architechture and the spectacular animals in it. For example Schoenbrunn is the only European zoo where Panda bears live. Especially the Reptile house, the polar house, the desert house or the jungle house are great!!!
Email: office@zoovienna.at
Internet: www.zoovienna.at

This is a very special attraction in the Schoenbrunn zoo. An original alpine farmhouse of Tyrolia (western Austria) is rebuilt here. It's run by real farmers with real animals that are typical for Austria. It's great to walk through the house and the stables and have a close contact to the animals or see how alpine farmers still live and work in Austria (without the luxury of the big city). Don't miss it!

Schoenbrunn is - like tha Vienna Prater - the perfect place to have a walk, do some skating, rent a bike and do a tour or go for jogging through the park. The entrance to the park is free, so you can just enjoy a nice afternoon there and admire the lovely gardens od refresh in the wood after a hot day in the city.
Many Viennese do this as well, so you'll meet many joggers, bikers, skaters...