Information on the Schönbrunn Palace Park
(Photography: Flower parkette with view to the Gloriette)
History
The Schönbrunn Palace Park in its present form was shaped starting from 1750 upon the order of Emperess Maria Theresia by the Lothringian garden artists Louis Gervais and Jean Nicolas Jardot and, later, by Adrian van Stekhoven and Ferdinand von Hohenberg. Due to century-long traditional maintenance work the Park, which measures about 185 hectare, is today among the best conserved baroque gardens in French style. In 1996, it was registered on the UNESCO list as world cultural heritage.
Address
Schloss Schönbrunn
A-1130 Vienna
Austria
Phone: (+43 1) 877 50 87-0
Fax: (+43 1) 877 50 67
How to get there
- U4 via Meidlinger Tor (stop Schönbrunn)
- U4 via Hietzinger Tor (stop Hietzing Zoo)
- by car (parking possibility) via the main door and the Tirolertor
Opening hours
November – March: 6.30 a.m. to dusk
April – October: 6.00 a.m. to dusk
Entrance fees
Entrance to the Schönbrunn Palace Park is free. Entrance fees
are charged for the labyrinth garden
and the Schönbrunn
Palm House.
The labyrinth garden at the Schönbrunn Palace Park
With the labyrinth garden, the Federal Gardens and the Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H. have created an attraction which will make your visit of the Park a unique experience.
Among other things, the labyrinth garden comprises a lookout platform in its centre as well as two "harmony rocks" which, after their activation by the world-famous Chinese Feng-Shui Grand Master Professor Dr. Jes Lim in the framework of the opening event, will send positive forces to the visitors. The labyrinth garden was designed within a very short time at costs of approx. € 580.000 and means another step towards the historical authenticity of the world cultural heritage of Schönbrunn.
The labyrinth garden can be visited between April and October at an entrance fee of € 5 (various reductions).
The Palm House at the Schönbrunn Palace Park
(Photography: Hietzing parterre with Palm House)
History
Built in 1882 upon the order of Emperor Franz Joseph I by F. von Segenschmid. With a total length of 111 m, a width of 28 m and a height of 25 m the largest palm house of the European continent. Mediterranean, tropical and subtropical plants in three different climatic areas.
Opening hours
May – September: 9.30 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
October – April: 9.30 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.
Entrance fees
Adults: € 3.30
Seniors: € 2.90
Groups: € 2.55
Annual ticket: € 21.80
Annual ticket for seniors: € 18.20
Reduced annual ticket: € 14.55
Reduced combi-tickets for Palm House and zoo as well as reduced fees for school age children and infants.
Expert-guided tours for groups upon announcement by phone (+43 1) 877 50 87-490.
The Japanese garden at the Schönbrunn Palace Park
The Japanese garden was built in 1913 by Schönbrunn gardeners, became overgrown in the course of time, was rediscovered in 1996, and restored to its original state in 1998. Two new, representative Japanese gardens, a dry-landscape garden (Kare-sansui) and a tea garden (Cha-niwa), were then designed east and west of the historical part of the garden.
In the dry-landscape garden stones stand for islands and mountains and, instead of water, white gravel is to represent seas, ponds and rivers. This part of the garden was named "Kisso" garden, which means "garden of happiness". Two stone formations represent "Tsuru" (crane) and "Kame" (turtoise), symbols of happiness, longevity and wisdom.
The "tea garden" includes an entrance door made of weaved bamboo and a path leading to the tea place which was built instead of an original teahouse and where the tea ceremony takes place.
The Japanese garden is a sign of the Japanese-Austrian friendship and a donation of Japan to Austria worth about € 1 million. It is located south of the Palm House (closest Park entrance: Hietzinger Tor, U4 stop Hietzing); entrance is free.
© 2001 BMLFUW, Federal Gardens, last update on May 2, 2002.