Park Shönbrunn - Vienna

It is good to know they don't charge admission for the park and you can visit it after the tour of the inside of the palace, which has limited visitor hours. Yet you should keep in mind the park is huge and it will take some time for you to visit it.

It is one of the city parks, so don't get surprised to see a few locals how they jogg through it as part of their daily exercise.

It is also worth to see this green oasis, since it is as the Habsburg left it.

The gardens are cared for very day – from mowing the lawn to shaping the trees into topiaries and tending to various season flowers, which are carefully arranged and cared for by the city horticultural workers to give you the feel of the garden of Eden.

Throughout the whole park there are also many fountains, which have been built already in the Habsburg era.

You can get a good overview of the flowerbeds from the balcony at the main exit from the castle, which is also a great place to snap some photos of the park with the Gloriette observing arches in the back.

Climbing the top of the hill gives you an excellent view of the city and you can sit down for a cup of coffee or two at the Gloriette café/restaurant, where you can also just rest or refresh yourself or go to the roof to enjoy the view of the city. IT is good to know, that there is also the toilet there.

You might find it interesting to know, the park was first opened to public in 1779 and that it was placed on the UNESCO world heritage list in 1996.

As said before, the park has kept its original form until the currant days, but it kept changing during the setup, until it got the form it has today, especially at the changes on the throne of the royal house. Most of the sculptures and historical elements, like The Spring fair, The Obelisk fountain or The Fall of the Roman Empire, were erected during the reign of Maria Theresa (the last one just before her death).

Walking through the park, you’ll every now and then see a labyrinth, made from trees and shrubs. They were an irreplaceable part of baroque parks and courtyards. There are also several avenues of trees, formed by square shaped treetops. I was surprised to see the topiary like treetops were shaped from leaf trees. Pine trees are more usual for these creations.

The central Neptune fountain stands half way between the castle and Gloriette and is a true sculptural masterpiece, bringing to life the ancient mythology of Grece and Rome and weaves it into the very name of Schönbrunn, meaning beautiful fountains/wells. We could call this fountain the first watery stop before ascending the hill, with the lakes as water reservoirs. Or you can just go see other fountains, without going up the hill.

If you, however, don’t feel like walking much on a warm summer day, you can also take a horse-drawn carriage or a ride with a tourist train, which will show you the main attractions of the park.

No matter if you walk or drive, you should pay attention to the flowers, which is not planted randomly. It has a special meaning, you should discover, like the combination of the red and white flowers, copying the colors of the Austrian national flag.

The stunning, but not imposing flower arrangements have their symbolism, which you can discover for yourself, like the fountains have their own stories and history, as the whole park does and they are all just waiting for you to discover them.