Schloss Schönbrunn

Top choice in Vienna


The Habsburgs' opulent summer palace is now a Unesco World Heritage site. Of its 1441 rooms, 40 are open to the public; the Imperial Tour takes you into 22 of these, including the private apartments of Franz Joseph and Sisi. The Grand Tour continues to the other 18 rooms and includes the 18th-century interiors from the time of Maria Theresia. These mandatory tours are done with a free audio guide (or app); the Grand Tour can also be done with a tour guide.

Due to the palace's popularity, tickets are stamped with a departure time and there may be a gap of an hour or more, so buy your ticket straight away and then explore the gardens, or book and buy for a specific time online.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Vienna attractions

1. Kindermuseum

0.04 MILES

On the ground floor of the western wing at Schloss Schönbrunn, the palace's children's museum showcases imperialism. Activities and displays help kids…

2. Schloss Schönbrunn Gardens

0.14 MILES

Within the sprawling, partially forested Schlosspark, the beautifully tended formal gardens of the palace, arranged in the French style, are a symphony of…

3. Wagenburg

0.14 MILES

The delightful Wagenburg displays carriages ranging from tiny children’s wagons up to sumptuous vehicles of state, but nothing can compete with Emperor…

4. Kronprinzengarten

0.21 MILES

With its ornate parterres, octagonal pools and pergolas, the Kronprinzengarten at Schloss Schönbrunn is a replica of the original baroque garden created…

5. Neptunbrunnen

0.24 MILES

A riotous ensemble from Greek mythology, this extraordinary garden folly at Schloss Schönbrunn was commissioned by Maria Theresia in the 1770s. Neptune,…

6. Schöner Brunnen

0.26 MILES

The original Schöner Brunnen fountain, from which Schloss Schönbrunn gained its name, now pours through the stone pitcher of a nymph near the Roman ruins.

7. Roman Ruins

0.28 MILES

Sitting at the foot of Schönbrunn hill, these quaintly artificial Roman ruins, with their arches, friezes and busts, were created as a folly in the…

8. Palmenhaus

0.44 MILES

Built in 1882 by Franz Segenschmid as a replica of the greenhouse in London’s Kew Gardens, the 2500-sq-m Palmenhaus was the world's largest of its kind…