Vienna: Schloss Schönbrunn (Part I)

Schloss Schönbrunn, the hunting-lodge-turned-imperial-residence of the Habsburgs, has “always been a place of interest to visitors, and the history of sightseeing at the palace did not merely start with the end of the Habsburg Monarchy in 1918.” So explained one of the info panels at the palace.

At first, only nobility, envoys from other countries, and high-ranking foreigners got to glimpse what was inside the estate. Then came the Vienna World Exhibition of 1873 and Emperor Franz Joseph opened parts of the palace to the public. Tours were conducted of the premises … but the private apartments of the imperial family were strictly off-limits. That was then and things have changed since. These days, visitors stream in by the hundreds — if not thousands — to roam the estate and check out the private apartments. The main grounds are free; admission is charged to go inside the buildings and some of the gardens.

Today it was our turn to wander the halls of the 1,441-room-estate — OK, so we got to see only 40 of the said rooms during our Grand Tour — and stroll through the grounds to our heart’s content … the rain that plagued us for a while notwithstanding.

The ‘five-stop, two-metro-line trip’ from our AirBNB to Schloss Schönbrunn took a mere 15 minutes or so … putting us at our destination with time to spare for exterior photos before it was time for our DIY/audioguide tour. We had booked the very first time slot of the day — 8:30a — to avoid the worst of the crowds. Very smart move as it turns out. There were just three other couples when we scanned our tickets and began exploring the palace. It did get more crowded as the morning wore on, but it was nothing like the crowds we saw waiting in the lobby when we left at 12:30p.

The history of Schönbrunn can be traced back to the Middle Ages. But don’t worry, I am not going to bore you with all that. Nor am I going to delve deep into the history of the estate through the centuries. Anyone interested can find volumes of such information on the internet. Suffice to say that it was 1569 when Schönbrunn came into the hands of the Habsburgs, who ruled Austria — and a number of other countries on and off — from 1282 to 1918.

Schönbrunn means “beautiful spring” … in reference to the artesian well that provided water to the court. The palace served as the summer residence to many members of the imperial family, including such notable names as Empress Maria Theresa … she received the estate as a wedding gift; and Franz Joseph, the longest reigning Emperor of Austria, and his wife … Sisi as Empress Elizabeth was more commonly known.

And on that note, let’s take a photo-walk through some of the rooms of Schloss Schönbrunn … a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Leia mais