Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunn is a beautiful palace in Vienna with vast property and seemingly endless gardens. The palace was constructed in the 1600's and opened in the final year of the century. Vienna was our final European vacation, and Schönbrunn was our final palace tour. Luckily, we were not disappointed.

Pictures were not allowed inside, a lot of the items were original and they did not want to put their preservation at risk. We took the self guided audio tour, lasting about an hour, before hitting up the gift shop on our way out.

We walked through the gardens after the palace tour. They were icy and all leaves and flowers had long since gone. All the ice and snow really added to the beauty and mystique of such a grand space.

From the ground level we walked up a snow covered path to get a better look of the grounds. My riding boots gave me a real battle as I hiked up, at times sliding and losing whatever ground I had just gained! The view was fantastic. Beyond the palace, you could see Vienna beautifully on display in the background. 

From Schönbrunn we took the bus back through the city to have a home cooked meal with some friends before heading to the airport. Vienna was a fantastically relaxing weekend. I loved the coffee shops, the cakes, and some of the most beautiful scenery in all of Europe. I even bought some artwork I look forward to framing soon and hanging up at home in Chicago.