Visiting Schönbrunn Palace

Visiting Schönbrunn Palace would be worth it if we could spend at least half a day there. The palace complex is large and beautiful. The palace building and the garden in its surroundings are good scenery to use as the background for our pictures.

Hello traveller,

There are more than 10 beautiful palaces around Europe. Most of these palaces no longer house the royal family. Some palaces have been converted into museums. Visitors can see the furnishings inside the palace and imagine how the royal family lived in the past.

Visiting Schönbrunn Palace was on my bucket list. One of the reasons I visited Vienna was to visit the palace. It is said that the beauty of the palace and its gardens are as good as the Versailles Palace in France. Each of the palaces has indeed its beautifulness.

Many people ask if it is worth visiting Schönbrunn Palace. I think it is!

However, it depends on what kind of traveller you are. If you like historical stories, a story about royal family, or maybe don’t have a specific preference, I think you should visit the palace.

A Glimpse About Schönbrunn Palace

The palace is a popular tourist attraction. I visited it twice in different years and different seasons. It was always full of tourists. Most of them were international visitors but there were also local tourists as I heard them speaking in German.

The imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty has been officially a UNESCO World Heritage since 1996. It is one of the most beautiful baroque palace complexes in Europe. More than 5 million visitors visit it annually making it the most visited tourist place in Austria.

If you feel unfamiliar with the Habsburg royal family, maybe you will not feel that way if I mention some of their famous family members. Empress Maria Theresa was a very famous Holy Roman Empress who ruled Austria as well as Hungary, Croatia, and many more wider areas. One of her daughters was Marie Antoinette, a wife of the French King, who was executed during the French Revolution.

Another well-known family member was Sissi, the Austrian Empress, who was famous for her beauty and long hair. She was the wife of Emperor Franz-Joseph, the last Habsburg Emperor. Some history of these famous members of the Habsburg royal family can be found during the tour of the palace.

Then, if you ask me about joining a travel agent for the visit, I recommend you either join a travel agent and buy a tour provided by the palace itself. If you like detailed information and are eager to know the history in deeper explanation, joining a travel agent is an option. Otherwise, the three different types of tours that you can find and choose in the palace, give you enough story.

How Much Time Do Visitors Need at the Palace?

The Schönbrunn Palace is open every day, including public holidays. The earliest opening hour is at 8.30 am and the latest closing time is at 18.00 (1 July to 31 August) or 17.00 (4 November to 31 March). Otherwise, it will close at 17.30. Please remember that the last admission is 45 minutes before closing.

However, the lavish palace park behind the palace opens earlier than the palace. The park gates opening hour is at 6.30. For your information, this park is accessible to everyone and free of charge. The closing time varies depending on which month. For example during the winter months from November to February, the park closes at 17.30. As for the summer months (May to July), closing time is at 21.00

During the summer months, it will be full of tourists. It may not be comfortable to enjoy the palace and the park when a lot of people are there at the same time. However, we can find a strategy like coming at the earliest hour or during lunchtime. I recommend coming during the autumn months since the park will have autumn colors and not many people have holiday in this time.

Since the imperial palace is large and the garden behind the palace covers more than 1 square km, I recommend you prepare at least half a day to visit. However, it is better if the visitor has a whole day to spend in the Schönbrunn Palace complex. They can enjoy all the interesting sites without any rush.

Ticket and Transportation

There are different tickets to visit Schönbrunn Palace. A Grand Tour ticket costs 32 Euros for an adult. An Imperial Tour ticket price is 27 Euros. A guided tour of the life of Empress Maria Theresa costs 37 Euros for one adult person.

I think it is a must visit for any visitor to Vienna. Schönbrunn Palace is a landmark of Austria, especially Vienna. Even though the location is not in the centre of the Vienna, the visitor can get to the site easily with public transportation.

Please find U Bahn U4 and take a stop at Schönbrunn station. Another alternative is with trams number 10 or 60 stop at Schloss Schönbrunn. You can also take bus 10 A and get off at bus stop Schloss Schönbrunn.

So, what do you think now?

Is the Schönbrunn Palace worth to visit?

I visited the palace twice but still hope to come again someday. I never had the opportunity to enjoy the garden, climb up the hill and visit the Gloriette, the zoo, and the palm house. It will cost me a whole day but it doesn’t matter since I will experience something interesting.

I hope you enjoy your visit to Schönbrunn Palace!

Happy travelling,

Amelia