Schloss Schonbrunn

Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna is the primary residence where the Habsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria for six centuries, actually lived. The palace has 1,441 rooms; around 40 are open to visitors on guided and self-guided tours. The building’s distinctive yellow, now called Schoenbrunn yellow and used on official buildings across the former empire, was chosen by Maria Theresia, who rebuilt the palace in the 1750s. The gardens are free and lead up to the Gloriette viewpoint on the hill behind the palace. Napoleon occupied the palace twice. Franz Joseph I, whose 68-year reign was the longest in European history, was born and died here. The Schoenbrunn Zoo in the palace grounds is the world’s oldest continuously operating zoo, founded in 1752. Book timed entry well in advance in summer; U4 to Schoenbrunn takes 15 minutes from the center.