Zone: For Ring Road

Schönbrunn is considered to be one of the most beautiful palace estates in Europe. It's hard to believe that before the 16th century there was no palace at all here – nor any park, nor even the name Schönbrunn itself. It was only in the 18th century that Schönbrunn really flowered as a great royal palace complex – when Habsburg Emperor Charles VI gave the palace as a gift to his beloved, eldest daughter, the future Empress Maria Theresa, as a wedding present. On her father's death in 1740, Maria Theresa took on the task of transforming what was then really a hunting lodge into one of Europe's greatest palaces, reworked to designs by the Austrian-born Italian architect Nicolò Pacassi. By the end of the eighteenth century the estate had been fully laid-out as a modern palace complex – comprising not only the palace itself, but many outbuildings, follies, stables, ornamental and hunting parks, and even a theatre. And now, Ladies and Gentlemen! In the name of her Most Imperial Majesty, Maria Theresa, you are cordially invited to join us on a walk around the Summer Estate of the Austrian Emperors – a palace which became the symbol of modern Austria, and remains to this day the most visited sightseeing attraction in the country.