Schönbrunn Palace

Today we decided to go and visit the UNESCO world site the Schonbrunn Palace. The Baroque palace is a massive building with 1,441 rooms and has a long rich history spanning over 300 years.

view of a section of the Schonbrunn Palace

Ray, Janice, Scott and Shelley at the front of the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna

We began by walking along the front of the palace until we reached the side entrance to view some of the interior rooms of the palace. We explored three of the main rooms which had some impressive features.

The ceilings were works of art and made the rooms seem almost alive.

Massive wooden and gilded Chandelier in the Great hall of the Palace

We walked along the corridors admiring the baroque designs of the palace

After walking through a small portion of the palace we headed outside to the gardens. We began in the garden pavillion then headed towards the main garden area.

The garden Pavilion at the Schonbrunn Palace

The gardens were immense and had stunning features. we walked through the main garden area and headed towards the Gloriette on the hill top.

View of the gardens from the rear of the Palace with the <Gloriette on the hill in the background.

Along the way towards the Gloriette we stopped at the Neptune Fountain called the Great Parterre area of the gardens.

At the rear of the fountain was an area where you could see through the fountain and see the Palace in the distance.

Scott, Janice Shelley and Ray at the Neptune Fountain with a view of the palace in the background

We continued our walk up the hill and we came to a small pound in front of the Gloriette.

We continued up the hill until we reached the Gloriette.

The Gloriette which is the garden axis points towards a 60-metre-high (200 ft) hill.

From here there were beautiful views of the Palace and Vienna in the background. It was truly worth the long walk up the hill.

View of the Schonbrunn Palace and Vienna from the Gloriette

The Gloriette structure is one of the iconic parts of the garden. Erected on the top of the 60-metre-high (200 ft) hill, it is a focal point of the garden.

Built in 1775 with stone recycled from another site, the military-themed columns and arches are made to represent to glorify Habsburg power.

We stayed at the Gloriette for a while enjoying a well deserved rest and admiring the views before heading back. We walked down through a hedged area of the gardens. There were sculptures and statues along the way.