Schönbrunn Palace

A lovely experience! If you're interested in this kind of history, it sure is pleasant!! It's nice to have a free audio guide!! Bonus for us Greeks, there is typed information about the rooms. My visit was early February and there was enough space for everyone. Tip: get the full Sisi ticket for all thee places.Enjoy!!

Schonbrunn Palace is a must visit attraction in Vienna. The historic site boasts stunning architecture, beautiful parks and lush gardens. While the entrance isn’t the cheapest, you can easily spend an entire day exploring. The palace offers scenic walking and running paths along with a rich history of Austria. Expect large crowds and long queues so I highly recommend booking in advance.

The complex is beautiful, and it’s worth exploring the interior at least once. The audio guide is concise and engaging, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the visual experience. The entrance is easy to find, and there is enough parking spots nearby, though it’s a good idea to check in advance. As a student, I found the price a bit high, but even so, there were many visitors.

Wow, simply wow! We visited the palace on a Wednesday morning and the weather was perfectly crisp! We did the Grand Tour, audio, and it took around 90 minutes end to end. The palace rooms are beautiful and the story of the family is well understood by the end. Make sure you walk around the palace gardens and visit all of the fountains! The scale is misleading so check the signs and keep walking around to ensure you don’t miss anything! Book tickets in advance to avoid queues!

We visited this incredible historic site, and it was an unforgettable experience. Our tour guide shared fascinating stories about the influential women of the empire and their roles in shaping history. The palace itself is stunning, with spectacular architecture and intricate artistic details that showcase the power and elegance of that era. To add to the charm, there’s a delightful Christmas market right in front of the palace, filled with unique gifts, crafts, and festive treats. This is absolutely a must-visit destination, especially during the holiday season. Every corner of the palace and market radiates a unique blend of history and festive spirit.

I very much enjoyed Schronbrunn. It is not as beautiful as Versailles in France, but it was fantastic and not nearly as crowded and is much easier to get to. I recommend an early start to avoid crowds. Definitely buy your tickets in advance. The gardens were very fun to walk; I suggest 2 hours here, maybe 3 hours. The Christmas market was also very fun.

Huge tourist attraction in Vienna, but well worth visiting, especially if you like a good walk. Well managed gardens with great views. Loads of beautiful historic buildings with portable electronic guides available in multiple languages. Easy to get to with multiple travel options on the underground, tram or bus. Would recommend but could be overcrowded in peak season.

It’s a remarkable palace, very beautiful architecture and decorative arts on every room. Years of Habsburg history here. Get your ticket online before hand, you would know your exact time.otherwise you have to queue, everyone gets an audio guide and every room has a number to listen to, there are some readings as well for example in the big gallery room there are info about the paintings symbolism. Go for the grand tour it has few extra rooms that it covers. During Christmas time there was also a Christmas market outside which was very nice vibe.

Took the audio guided Grand tour of the palace. Interesting information and displays depicting life in the palace and how the rooms were used and decorated.

Wow what a great day we had here. It was a national holiday so it was pretty crowded later in the day. We were with a group so I have no idea the cost of admission. Whatever it was Id pay it to see this beautiful place again. Omg the gardens! I wish I could return for the christmas market as they were setting up in front of the palace. Looked gorgeous!

The Schönbrunn Palace is one of those places where you should not pay for admission and just walk through the gardens/grounds, which is expansive, beautiful, and free. The best view is getting to the top of the Gloriette, which is a small hike. We did attempt to go inside the Palace and arrived early. However, by the time we got there, there was already a huge swarm of tour buses and tourists, and the staff told us it would be 2 hours wait to enter. Honestly, the staff was pretty curt, so it didn't motivate us to explore the interior anyway - you can tell they are pretty fed up with tourists in general. After traveling across Europe and getting to visit multiple palaces, we turned the option to visit the palace interior down and just ventured out to the grounds, which turned out to be the best move here. This place is also the most touristy spot in Vienna, so plan accordingly.

Breathtaking. Absolutely beautiful. The castle is incredible and the garden is surreal. I could have stayed there forever. If you plan a visit get there early it will take at least 4 hours to tour the palace. There are a few restaurants on the grounds which have a good menu. There is a children's museum for the young ones and the cutest electric train.

We toured the Schönbrunn Palace outside Vienna. This was the former imperial summer residence of the Habsburg Empire in Vienna. Here again, which is a common theme, there is tons of Baroque architecture and Austrian history. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site including the palace and stunning gardens, fountains, and statues. The palace has over 1,400 rooms which is something to see in and of itself. The legendary Empress Maria Theresa made Schönbrunn her summer residence.

Before all....i'd like to mention. This attraction will take your entire day if you plan to fully explore this site and enjoy the experience at ease. Inside the palace- enter at your ticket time, so purchase ahead is a good idea. It says no pictures or videos allowed, however people still do ‍ The garden- gorgeous, the walk is endless but enjoyable. We went during fall season. I couldn't stop taking pictures of the scenery. Carriage ride- FYI, the ride can only go around tye garden from outside circle, they cannot go through roads inside. We took the full ride, saw some parts of the garden and the premises, it was good enough for the money, but we still have to walk into the garden on foot at a later time. Souvenirs shop- it's on your way out like most of the museums. There are good quality souvenirs and very unique, do recommend to snatch some on your way out. There is no parking nearby, but do have a vehicle drop off area by the main entrance. Our overall experience is a five star and will return for another visit during a diffident season to check out things we missed this time due to the size of this palace. Highly recommend by @winedinenvacay

Yelp Review 2023 #271: Schloss Schonbrunn is a massive castle that sits on acres of land that's part of the castle. It's far from the city center so plan on dedicating at least 4 hours of your time here. It's definitely one of the Viennese landmarks you simply cannot skip. If you're into the royals then, pay for a ticket to get in the castle. There's a lot to see. I've been to many castles and honestly, at some point they all start to look alike and I get bored quicker than you can spell it. This castle is huuuuuuuge. So, I already know I don't have the attention span to make paying for a ticket worth it. If you're not into staring at fancy plates, chandeliers and small ornate beds - walk around the castle. You'll find interesting things to see like the garden and the fountain. I did, however, spend my time at the Christmas market on castle grounds. More food, more mulled wine, and no attention span. I noticed they sell more crafts and snow globes than other Christmas markets in Vienna. I babysat my mulled wine until it got cold. I glugged it down so I can do something else. Next thing I know, I was on a train going somewhere with my mug with a drop of cold mulled wine.

Beautiful palace with a beautiful garden. It's a must-see when in Vienna. If you're not into looking at architecture or historical artifacts, you could probably skip the inside of the palace. I saw people jogging around the garden, so that's something that could be nice to do. The gift shop has nice souviners. I grabbed a few totes and wallets.

Can't miss attraction in Vienna. We visited Schloss Schönbrunn on a Monday afternoon in June, and it was packed to the gills. We purchased our ticket online ahead of time to avoid the line. The audio guide is essential for this museum as there our few explanatory plaques. The rooms of the palace are opulent and unique. It is impossible to capture the grandeur of each room in photo form. We explored the grounds afterwards and earned lovely photos of the castle and of Vienna as well. We spent about 3 hours here in total. Overall, I would highly recommend Schloss Schönbrunn, and, if you only have time for one activity in Vienna, then choose Schloss Schönbrunn.

This place was fantastic! Some of these rooms are hard to believe. Purchasing a ticket online was easy. Arriving and check-in was easy, especially by train. The grounds were really cool as well, especially the gardens. The restrooms were nice and clean. This is definitely a must-see place if you are in Vienna!

To say Schloss Schonbrunn is breath taking is an understatement. We came here on a Sunday, since many things in Vienna are closed on Sundays. It was the perfect time to do some sight-seeing and enjoy what this beautiful city has to offer. This is definitely a busy spot, but it's so big, you never feel overwhelmed or cramped. We were dropped off at the entrance to the castle, and our ride went to park in the parking lot not too far from the entrance. The first thing I noticed was how vast the grounds were. There is a large gravel lot (I think that's the best word to describe it) bordered by the beautiful buildings. The architecture was so classic and beautifully made. On each side there are fountains and greenery, which add to the majestic feeling. We entered and were told to purchase your tickets on the opposite side of the grounds (pro tip: buy tickets to the left right when you walk in). We got the tickets through the kiosk for the 45 minute tour. Our tour started pretty soon after we got our tickets which was appreciated, there wasn't a bunch of waiting around. We grabbed our tour audio packs and listened as we walked through the rooms of the castle. This place is so wonderfully taken care of and absolutely gorgeous. The audio goes into depth about each room you enter, and I learned a lot (JFK was in the same room as us, which was pretty cool). After the tour, they have a gift shop, which was really nice and big. I got some goodies for myself and for people back home, which is always nice to check off the list. We later walked through the back gardens which reminded me a bit of Versailles. Aesthetically pleasing to look at, well taken care of, and beautiful colors. We continued on up to the top, which is a good story for another review :) it was a special afternoon in Vienna!

Beautiful inside out. So many things to see and could spend a day there. Definitely one of the top attractions in Vienna.

Wikipedia: "Schönbrunn Palace was the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers, located in Hietzing, Vienna. The name Schönbrunn (meaning "beautiful spring") has its roots in an artesian well from which water was consumed by the court." This is a must-visit place if you're ever in the beautiful city of Vienna! I do recommend coming early to avoid the crowds. Another reason to come early is so you have some time to enjoy the zoo afterwards (a part of the whole complex).

The Schönbrunn is often referred the Versailles of Austria. The Versailles seems grander and more lavishly decorated. This might have to do with Emperor Franz Joseph's preference for austerity. But the audio guide tells the visitor very interesting stories about the emperor and empress and allows the visitor to learn more about the history of the empire. We got the Sisi combination tickets that allowed us to visit the Hofsburg Place, the Schönbrunn Place and the Imperial Furniture Museum, since the prices of tickets to the two places already exceeded the price of the combination ticket.

Schloss Schonbrunn is listed as the #1 attraction to do in Vienna. This palatial estate is massive and there's something like 8 different ticket choices available to see all that the grounds have to offer. Admission to the gardens is free. The most basic of packages is the Imperial Tour, which costs 22 euros and allows access to 22 state rooms. Pictures aren't allowed inside the palace. The rooms aren't that impressive when comparing to the Versaille's palace in Paris. In fact many of them were small. What made matters worse is that there was a huge tour group in front of me and they would fill up the room and their tour guide would talk for a while, which prevented anyone from passing them and going on to the next room. I had to squeeze my way through this bottle neck. Overall I wasn't impressed with the palace. It has a nice bit of history and the grounds are massive. Save yourself some money and just walk the grounds, gardens, and take some pics of the outside of the palace.

The palace is gorgeous. We chose not to tour the inside due to limited time. The grounds were beautiful. We found the staff friendly. Be ware you have to pay to use the restrooms.

This is a must visit when in Vienna. It is not too far from the city center. The tickets are timed.

Schonbrunn is a bit outside of city center but fast and easy to get to by metro - although there is a short walk from the metro station to the palace. The garden and extensive grounds are free, you only need to get tickets for the inside and the Gloriette - the latter gives you a slightly higher overhead view of the grounds and city beyond.

I had to save review #700 for something special: Schönbrunn Palace, that masterpiece of the Hapsburg reign! It's astounding to me that the Schönbrunn didn't become a UNESCO World Heritage Site until the 1990s. Perhaps that's when the WHS program started? The palace is... well, this is the type of place that the would impress any monarch, let alone us common folk. I have an affinity for the place not only because of its history and its beauty, but because of its association with Empress Sisi. She's a fascinating woman and she also was the favorite cousin (and almost-wife) of my favorite monarch, King Ludwig II of Bavaria. A Baroque marvel with interiors in rococo style, the summer palace of the Hapsburg monarchs has almost 1,500 rooms. That's rooms, not bedrooms, but still... can you imagine leaving your gloves (or, more likely in the 21st century, your mobile phone) in one room and then remembering 10 minutes on your walk to the other end of the palace that you'd left it? Only about 3% of those rooms are open for visiting, however. And yes, I said summer palace. This was not the main residence of the royal family. The grounds upon which Schloss Schönbrunn currently stands were initially used as a hunting lodge after coming into Hapsburg possession. From those humble beginnings, one of the most spectacular palaces in Europe (even today) was born, with extensive, exquisitely manicured gardens in addition to the palace itself. Versailles gets a lot of attention, but I don't think you could be disappointed in spending your day on a visit to this rival palace. Plan to spend a good chunk of time here. I'd highly recommend a tour, audio tour, detailed guidebook, or something; I didn't have one on my visit and I'm still disappointed over 10 years later that I know I didn't learn as much as I would have wanted! There are several different ticket options so hopefully there's one at your price point; the gardens are not necessarily included, so select your ticket wisely. It's also the most visited attraction in Austria, so you'll want to plan accordingly and be patient. I would like to visit Vienna again sometime (keeping my fingers crossed I'll win a ticket to one of the New Years' concerts of the Vienna Philharmonic, or maybe visit to attend the opera ball!) and I will be visiting Schönbrunn again, with the ticket that includes EVERYTHING, blocking off my day, detailed audioguide at the ready and wearing my most comfortable tennis shoes so I can soak it all in.

Highly recommend! Such a beautiful castle, and the gardens around it is really beautiful too. My fiancé and I opted to purchase the more expensive, longer tour, and we are so glad we did. The shorter tour would've ended quite abruptly, and I would've yearned to do more. Highly recommend!

Buy your tickets online for early in the day. Even in December the grounds get very crowded. I had entry ticket for 8:15 am and there was only 6 couples ahead of me. But a half hour into my walk a large tour group came through. Ticket came with an easy audio guide. You just enter the room number as you go. It allows you to stop and look around at tour own pace. I recommend the Grand tour of 40 rooms. It still only took just over an hour. The Imperial tour stops at 20 rooms. The Rococo palace has 1,441 rooms in all. You are lead through the once private apartments- sitting rooms, bedrooms and dining area. The inlaid floors. The silk wallpapers. The lavish furniture. The golden Great Gallery. All so beautiful, but no pictures are allowed. That's kinda a nice- you can enjoy the tour without distraction of getting the perfect picture. Check this "summer home and former hunting lodge." There is a metro a block in front of the palace. Easy walking all around the grounds.

This was such a amazing place to visit on my Austria trip. I loved all the decor and the different rooms through the tour. I loved how there were so many different areas to take great photos. The tour was excellent. I liked how I could listen to it in English. The tour was about 40 mins through 22 rooms. The rooms are finely detailed with great furniture and the exterior is well maintained.

Highly recommended! Even with fencing up and the middle of the courtyard taken up by rows of seating and a stage for a musical performance, I really enjoyed the Grand Tour, learning about Kaiserin Sissi and her husband, Kaiser Franz Joseph. My Austrian history knowledge was zero before my visit. It is fascinating and eye opening, especially since their time was really not that long ago. Sissi's story is beautiful and haunting.

It's a pretty palace, classic and simple, but big. No photos allowed once inside. Photos are allowed to be taken outside. The interior is audacious, showy and exudes excess. It was used for a summer residence for the imperial family. There are beautiful gardens and grounds to spend an hour or two. Great views of the palace from the top of the hill too.

This place may need a minimum half day to visit. The place originally is a hunting lodge in 17th century. Over the years of 18th century, it continue rebuilding to current palace. The palace has two types. The imperial tour or the grand tour. The imperial tour is only 22 rooms. The Grand tour is 40 rooms. I would suggest the Grand tour if you have time. The first part is the apartment of the royal. It part of the imperial tour. These include the guard room, bedroom, study room, breakfast room, dressing room and more. Yellow Salon is the first room facing the beautiful garden. It is well decorated. The great gallery is in the middle of the palace with beautiful hallway. It lit over thousand light bulb. This where the imperial tour end. I like the Grand Tour because of the special room in this tour. It begin with easy Asian cabinet room show Chinese porcelain. It well decorated. The other is blue Chinese salon which Chinese paper wall-hangings with floral motifs. Vieux Laque Room is black lacquer panels from the imperial manufactory in Peking. This is my most favorite room. The family chapel connected both floor. The only thing is they don't allow photo at all in the palace. The palace ground is huge to cover. Including a zoo. I would suggest go to back and check it out. Our time here is limited and was not able to finish the garden.

Pre-Covid review This was just gorgeous!! WOW! The palace is so huge with so much history! We came by for lunch at the Cafe and took a self guided tour around the palace and the gorgeous grounds. We couldn't take pictures inside, but it was all glamorous! The tour itself includes your headset. It is set for your language and you just follow along with the respective numbers to each room. There are also signs to describe the furniture & rooms in more detail too. The tour is about 45 mins and you get to walk through a lot of the palace to see the different living rooms, bedrooms and dining rooms. Definitely purchase tickets in advance as it gets super busy! The garden area behind the palace is definitely a must do. We were on a tight schedule so we didn't get to walk all the way to the end if it. On the sides of the palace, there are also more trees and garden areas. I think the gardens take up more than half of the grounds. The center courtyard is massive! You can fit lots of people there. That's why the offer horse carriages to take you back to the street. ;) There is also a separate guided tour of Sisi's private collection. Definitely recommended.

First of all, dont pay to use the rest room at the entrance. Walk straight in to the palace and there should be an entrance to the left (entrance A) to start the tour. Inside that building is free rest room. Dont need a ticket to enter it. Now onto the real review: Amazing place. Very large place to walk and explore. Lot of places to take cool picture. There is a cafe in the middle of the garden next to the zoo. A good place to relax a bit. All the fancy picture and large garden are free. Dont need to buy ticket. It is worth it to tour the inside palace for personal experience but not needed. Just some dude house and bed lol.

Austria's equivalent to Versailles. Schloss Schönbrunn is impressive inside and out. The palatial grounds are absolutely massive. You could spend an hour just walking around the grounds outside. Inside, the self-guided tour through the palace is world-class. We got a lot out of the audio tour as well. There's an option for the Imperial Tour (22 rooms) or the Grand Tour (40 rooms). If you're up for it, the Grand Tour was worth the extra fare. The audio tour is well done and incredibly detailed. You can even book your tickets online and show them with your phone - a big time saver.

A must visit for all tourists in Vienna. It's best to visit it in different seasons as the natural beauties are fantastic and picturesque. Aside from walking around the palace inside and out, my favorite is to hike up the hill on the backside, all the way to the tea house and enjoy the elevated views of Vienna. Love the manicured vegetations, trees, and the shrubs. At the end of the visit you can also enjoy espresso coffee, ice creams, and a variety of pastries in one of the few cafes inside the gates. I have come to this place 3 different times and never been disappointed.

One if the better castles/palaces I've been to! The grounds were huge, lots of greenery, scenery and a view of Vienna. It's gorgeous on a beautiful sunny Vienna day. There are 2 tours to experience the palace. It comes with an audio (different languages) and you walk through and listen to the narration. I learned a lot! You can't take pictures inside the palace, but everything was immaculate.

A definite must see if you are in Vienna! SF and I spent literally 5 hours here because there's so much to see! If you're entering from the subway, you get a great view of the palace first. I would recommend going straight through to see the Gloriette because the view is just amazing. There's a cafe inside and the arch just makes for a drop dead gorgeous view for a photoshoot. Since it was really hot in August, there were so many gelato carts selling a scoop of gelato for 2 euro, must get! Another place you have to go is the Palmenhaus! It's a pretty cool greenhouse and has a beautiful garden surrounding it. There's so many gardens to look at and it's so well kept.

So many palaces in Europe. I really appreciate the Architecture, it is gorgeous. The interior is very gaudy and opulent. I enjoyed the tour, though my husband was not a big fan. He only didn't enjoy it because of what it represented, and how extravagant everything was but the rest of the area at the time was very poor and people lived like this for show. Also that the whole family was very inbred, it is kind of disgusting when you think about it. I do appreciate how Austria doesn't let the building just be a museum, they do actually lease out one floor for apartments. Other than that, I would say it is a must see and don't forget the gardens they are truly beautiful.

It's a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE since 1996 and the former seat of the Hapsburg Dynasty since Maximilian the II. It's overwhelming in size, majestic in it's opulence and filled with once in a lifetime memories. You will probably be surprised as I was by the tiered ticket system. You essentially get four choices which I will outline. The Imperial Tour is 30-40 minutes and there is no guide but instead a free tour guide description and audio guide. You get to see only 22 rooms including Emperor Franz Joseph & his wife's apartment, Rococo state rooms, Great Gallery, Yellow Salon with a secretarial desk owned by Marie Antonette guillotined in 1793, Gobelin Salon with it's Brussel's Tapestries, Millions Room with rare rosewood paneling once occupied by Maria Theresa. The cost is Adults 12.50 Euro and 6-18 yrs. 9.50 Euro. You will see a very limited portion of what Schoenbrunn Palace has to offer. Grand Tour is 50-60 minutes and has a guided tour option. Adults 11.90 Euros no guide and 18.90 with guide, 6-18 10.50 Euros no guide and 12.00 Euros with guide. Like the Imperial Tour with the no guide you get a free tour description and audio guide. What there is see is everything in the Imperial Tour with a total of 40 rooms, stories about the palace spanning three centuries. The Classic Pass includes everything in the Grand Tour in addition to the Crown Prince Garden, Maze and Labyrinth. Orangery Garden with it's hothouse and Citrus Trees, Gloriette (1775) with viewing terrace of Vienna and Rococo murals.. It's a good half day. Adults 21 Euros, 6-18 13 Euros for a well trained guide. The Gold Pass includes the everything in the Classic Pass plus the Privy Garden, the Zoo, Palm House with it's many ecological environments (desert, tropical, temperate). Carriage Museum (coronation coaches, carriages, sleighs, etc.), star and round pools, Obelisk (1775), Angel and Neptune (1770's) created by Maria Theresa fountains, Roman Ruins modelled after the Ancient Temple of Vespasian and Titus, Columbary (1776 Aviary) and 32 Statues on the Great Parterre. There is a guide and the cost is Adults 49 Euros, 6-18 24 Euros. It's an all day experience and really lets you see the full breath of the Schoenbrunn Palace. No private photos are permitted inside the Palace. Photos are permitted outside as long they are not for professional use. Professional Photos taken by permit which require a three week notice with application. Ways to get to the Schoebrunn Palace, Bus 10A, Trans 10, 58 all from Schoenbrunn Station. The Metro has a drop off just a block from the palace. Cars can park at Parkplatz Schoenbrunn. Show less

There's a reason this is Austria's #1 attraction, this imposing palace situated adjacent to thousands of acres of parkland, with a zoo and a bunch of other (separately ticketed) attractions is a must visit during any trip to Vienna. It was an easy (and super safe) excursion via subway. Just take Line U4 and get off at the Schönbrunn stop (about 15 minutes from the central city) and follow the well- makes path (and throngs of visitors) directly to the front gate. Hopefully you've planned ahead and bought your tickets online (and printed them in advance) so you don't need to stop into the visitors center just inside the gate on the left. If you've arrived early, you can take a healthy walk around the massive park/garden and climb up to the top of the hill and take in the view. There is a cafe at the top in case you need fortification after your stroll. There are two basic tickets to tour the palace itself, one where you walk through half the sumptuous rooms on the main floor (Imperial) and one that takes you through all the rooms (Grand tour), each comes with a free audio guide. We did the grand which took around an hour. You admission ticket is for a 30-minute time slot (we were 2:30-3:00 on a Friday during the busy Christmas season). In December, in front of the palace there is a beautiful Christmas market with lots of hand-crafted item, food and drink. There is no charge to visit the market but if you go, try to be there at sunset (around 4 pm) when the lights go on-even Scrooge would have the Christmas spirit walking around and browsing the stands.

Whatever you do, don't leave Vienna without taking a trip to this unbelievably beautiful palace. If the sun is out, please spring for the tickets that include access to all of the gardens and you will not regret it (Classic Pass). The tour inside the palace was informative and interesting. You really get a feel for what life must have been like as a royal. But, what really, really, really makes this place worth visiting is the gardens. Everything is beautifully manicured, blooming and IG worthy. My favorite place was the Gloriette. It is a long, uphill walk to the top, but worth every step. Just know that once you get to the top, there is a cafe where you can get some refreshments. The views are incredible and unforgettable. This is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in the world and I highly recommend it. Parents of small kids, this place is extremely stroller friendly!

Total tourist trap. Hated it. Loved all the others and all the museums. This place is awful.

Schonbrunn Palace is beautiful. It reminds me of Versailles in a way but out tour guide said not to compare the two because Schonbrunn Palace was a family residence and Versailles was more of a showcase. The palace grounds are lovely and we went on a day where it was raining so we couldn't exactly walk around the grounds too much without stepping in mud. Inside it was not as opulent as I expected but it was still nice to look at all the different rooms they had and I especially liked the room with all the Chinoiserie wallpaper, vases and furniture in it. Apparently Schonbrunn palace has Christmas markets in the winter. I've never been to a Christmas market before and I'm curious to go to Vienna in the winter and explore.

We weren't allowed to take pictures of this palace inside but it was very interesting to listen to the history of the monarchy and of each of the rooms. They have roped off lot of sections of each room and some rooms can get pretty tightly packed with lots of tourists. The paintings and the furniture was also very interesting to look at. I'd recommend visiting this palace if you are in Vienna.

There are 3 palaces in Vienna, and this is supposedly the best and biggest one, and comes in a close second to Versailles in France. I don't want to repeat the same praises as the other 1000s of reviews, I'll just say: AVOID THE LINE! Buy your tickets online in advance, print them, and walk right up to the entrance at your appointed time. This will save you 10-30 minutes in the Spring and Fall, or potentially over an hour during the busy touristy summer. Also, your cheapass family/travel mates might be tempted by the €13,30 for the cheap 22-room Imperial Tour, but its really worth the extra 3.10 for the €16,40 40-room Grand Tour, unless you're in a really big hurry for some reason.

Talk about the life of the elite!! This place was the summer home of the Austrian royalty, those summer days must have been outstanding! This place gets packed quick. I bought my ticket online for the viewing slot of 11am, and there was already soooooooo many people here. But when I went inside for the tour, there were fewer people on the tour. I highly recommend that you purchase your ticket online, because this is a tourist attraction even in the winter time (which makes sense because many people travel to Vienna during December for the Christmas markets). There is a mandatory bag check in for backpacks and you cannot take pictures during the tour. I understand, this should only motivate you to come and see this palace for yourself! They have a free audio guide available which I used because there were little descriptions in the rooms, they also provide an actual guided tour, which may cost a few euros. Inside the palace is breathtaking and I definitely had to remind myself that I was a Yelp rite to make me feel better about my status while waking through here lol On the other side of the palace there was a fountain and more photo opportunities. I really enjoyed my tour here and would like to return in the summer!

What site could be more quintessentially Vienna than the Schönbrunn Palace? Positively dripping with centuries of imperial history and glittering with gilded splendor, Schönbrunn is absolutely worth the time and expense of a guided tour.

When in Vienna, have to attend at least one concert. On our way out of the Imperial Palace tour, a nice gentleman from Vienna Tourist office chatted with us and sold us on a complimentary ticket upgrade for a Mozart & Strauss Jr. Concert. Easy access from the train station. Coat/bag check is 1 euro per person.

IMO the best Palace in Europe. What I loved about Vienna is it wasn't too touristy, I really enjoyed the beautiful architecture of the palace and visiting the Spanish stables which were down the street. Definitely get a tour if you go and bring a wide angle lens.

My first time to visit Austria and this was my first stop. The palace is one of the most important cultural monuments in Austria as it was the former imperial summer residence, can't talk about Austrian history without visiting here. Mozart gave his very first concert to the Empress in the Mirror Room when he was only six years old. I learned so much more during audio guided tour. So full of history and culture here. Highly recommend purchasing a tour ticket with audio. No pictures allowed inside the palace (although I saw several tourists taking some pics with their phones, but I just had to follow the rule...hence no pictures of inside here). Visit here helped me understand more about Austria's history and culture as it was important to me to learn about them to continue to do business with people from this country. Garden was beautiful, although no flowers yet as it was still chilly day in March. I saw a wedding at the garden during my visit, they looked so beautiful while posing for pictures in this garden. I thought it was such a perfect place to take wedding pictures. I heard Schönbrunn means 'Beautiful Spring'. I am looking forward to coming back here someday during spring to enjoy their garden. I can just imagine how beautiful this place might get with so many flowers. I stayed here for about 2 hours. If weather was warmer, I would have stayed longer to enjoy a huge garden they have. I wonder when will I be lucky enough to come back here again?

This is one of Austria's must-see attractions. If you plan on visiting Vienna, make sure you budget a decent amount of time to tour the huge palace and visit the garden and surrounding grounds. Much like Versailles in France, the Schonbrunn palace is a reminder of Austria's imperial past. The palace housed prominent members of the Hapsburg royal family, and unlike Versailles which was pretty much emptied out after the French revolution, Schonbrunn palace has retained a good deal of its original furnishings and furniture. A good deal of the huge palace is close off to tourists but a guided tour will still eat up a decent amount of time. The palace grounds are also HUGE. It will take you awhile to really traverse the entire area, especially if you're in the mood to hike up the hill at the back of the palace. Personally I really enjoyed my visit here simply because the original furnishings really gives you a good sense of the majesty of the Hapsburg era. To me, this is definitely one of the "must-see" attractions if you happen to visit Vienna. Tip: This place gets ridiculously crowded given the huge tourist traffic. I was fortunate enough to be part of a tour that had early access (by 1 hour) before the palace is open to the general public. I would strongly recommend that you either find a similar tour or at the very least be sure to get there right when the palace opens in the morning. Otherwise there will be a LOT of human traffic inside that will diminish your ability to really enjoy the opulent interiors.

This was the highlight of my trip in Vienna. It's totally worth the ~4 hour commitment. This place was the summer palace of the Habsburgs and contains 1,441 rooms. The structure itself is monstrous, but the garden surrounding it is even more impressive. Walk the grounds! It has plenty of shade and even a labyrinth. There are also enough benches to take a break. Take a break! To the west of the Gloriette (a marble summer house in the gardens) is the Tiroler House. This was the favorite retreat of the Empress Elizabeth, but today it's a small restaurant and cafe.

Wow, this is what a palace is all about! The grandeur is beyond anything I have seen in the US or elsewhere. The grounds go on forever with this gem as the focal point. After your tour, don't leave without seeing the fountain, rose garden, zoo and Palmenhaus. These will be reviewed separately. This palace is outstanding in the condition of the quarters open to the public. There is such a sense of what it must have been like to live here. One of my favorite elements was the ceramic heaters in the corner of each room. They are impressive in size, condition and engineering. They made me realize what was needed in the way of creature comforts without the s we take for granted. The furnishings brought the family to life with the livings quarters and portraits bringing the royals to life. I especially enjoyed seeing how Sisi would have lived maintaining her long hair and slim waist. The audio tour kept us moving and informed as we enjoyed this gem which appears to attract from around the world. Enjoy your visit!

Das Schloss ist sehr schön und die Gärten auch aber sehr viele Leute Deswegen gebe ich 4 Sterne

The Schonbrunn Palace is magical! Once the former summer residence of the imperial Habsburg family, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Vienna's top billing tourist attraction. I loved doing the castle tour, and at the risk of sounding like a castle snob, I have been to better, but this joint was still amazing. What I appreciated most were the most amazing grounds. French gardens, vistas, expansive lawns. The hedge maze was closed and of course no rose gardens in November. I went on the most brilliant sunny day in November and life was grand. I could imagine in the height of the tourist season, this place is a zoo (which there is one on the grounds), but that ain't gonna affect this gal's Yelp review. Pro-tip - There's a small cafe up at the top of the hill. Enjoy a coffee and imagine life the way it used to be. In doing a little refresher of the history of this place, I came across an article in The Guardian informing me that if you happen to have 700 Euro's laying around, you can actually spend the night at palace starting April 30th 2014