Exploring Vienna's Schönbrunn Palace Through 17 Instagrams
The palace of Schönbrunn is the epitome of Viennese extravagance. Walking through the garden’s seemingly never-ending pathways, dressed with carefully pruned trees towering on either side, it is easy to imagine life back in imperial times, when the palace housed the Austro-Hungarian empire’s now-defunct monarchs. Standing at the obelisk gates, you can see the grandeur of the grounds extending all the way up to the arch of the Gloriette, a monument perched proudly on top of a hill, adorned with an imposing golden eagle representing the Labours of Hercules. Take a tour of the palace with these 17 Instagram posts.
The Gloriette is an arch that sits on top of a steep 60-metre (200-foot) hill at the far end of the park, giving spectacular views of the palace and the city skyline. Destroyed during World War II, the structure was fully restored by 1947.
The gardens of Schönbrunn are among the most impressive in Europe. The long passages, lined with neatly cropped trees on either side, are perfect for a stroll.
Completed in 1904, the palace’s desert house has a masonry wall on its north side and a single-glazed south front, perfectly designed to protect tender plants needing special growing conditions to thrive.
The plans for the laying out of the Meidling Privy Gardens were most likely drawn up by the Lotharingian garden designer Louis Gervais.
The maze at Schönbrunn was constructed in around 1720 and consists of narrow paths between tall, narrow hedges. Devoid of the dead-ends and false turns of a classic maze, it was instead intended as a great place to take a stroll.
Marvel at star bakers creating Vienna’s favourite dessert apple strudel right in front of your eyes at the Strudel Show at Cafe Restaurant Resident, Schönbrunn’s royal eatery.
The Palm House, a beautiful glass structure located on the grounds of the former Dutch Botanical Garden, was built in 1881–82 and designed by Franz Xaver Segenschmid. It is one of the park’s most photographed structures.
Spanning around 1.2 kilometres (0.75 miles) from east to west and approximately one kilometre (just over half a mile) from north to south, the gardens of Schönbrunn were named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, together with the palace.
A staggering 189 metres (620 feet) long and 10 metres (33 feet) wide, the Schönbrunn Orangery is one of the two largest and most beautiful baroque orangeries in the world.
Commissioned by Maria Theresa in the 1770s, this dramatic fountain at the heart of the park depicts Neptune and his entourage.
Inside the palace, you’ll find exquisite furniture and artwork from the time of the Habsburgs. Various tours can be arranged.
The palace’s white and gold rooms were decorated in the 1760s–70s, and are incredible examples of rococo craftsmanship from the era of Maria Theresa.
Maria Theresa commissioned the Bohemian artist Johann Wenzel Bergl to decorate these incredible rooms, a job that took him over 10 years to complete.
There are many monuments dotted around the gardens, including these Roman-style statues at the back of the palace.
The grounds of the palace transform through the seasons, bursting with colour in the summer and turning ghostly when the snow falls; the Schönbrunn Christmas market offers some interest and sparkle in the winter months.
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