Press information. Schönbrunn Palace

Transcription

1 Press information Schönbrunn Palace Palace Maze and Labyrinth Gloriette Privy Garden Orangery Garden Children s Museum Schönbrunn Palace Experience Schönbrunn Palace Meetings & Events / Apothecaries Wing A site belonging to Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H.

2 Schönbrunn: imperial attractions in palace and gardens The World Cultural Heritage Site of Schönbrunn Palace is Austria s most frequently visited tourist attraction. In the ownership of the Habsburg dynasty for centuries, this Baroque ensemble of palace and gardens has been preserved largely in its original state. Numerous attractions await the visitor, including tours of the authentically furnished state rooms and residential apartments of the imperial family in the palace, to the Maze and Labyrinth in the gardens and a dedicated Children s Museum. Schönbrunn palace is a unique Baroque synthesis of the arts consisting of the former residence of the Habsburgs and its surrounding gardens and park, which cover an area of over 1.5 square kilometres. From 1569 to the end of the monarchy in 1918, the estate was in the ownership of the Habsburgs, one of the pre-eminent ruling dynasties of Europe. Schönbrunn was to experience its most glorious epoch from 1760 during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa, when it became the centre of court and political life. The Baroque décor of the palace from this time has largely been preserved in its original state. At the end of the monarchy Schönbrunn Palace passed into the ownership of the Republic of Austria and was opened to the public shortly afterwards. In 1996 the palace and its park as an ensemble were designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Today visitors to Schönbrunn can gain an authentic impression of the imperial lifestyle in the state rooms and residential apartments of the palace, all furnished in faithful period detail. Forty of the 307 rooms in the palace are open to the public. The tour begins with the residential suites of Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth in the west wing of the palace, continuing through the state rooms in the middle range and the apartments occupied by Maria Theresa. In the east wing visitors can view the Franz Karl Apartments, once lived in by the parents of Emperor Franz Joseph, Archduchess Sophie and Archduke Franz Karl. The range of décors encountered on the tour is characteristic of the lifestyles, atmosphere and ideology of the imperial era. The gardens and park with their imposing architectural elements have also largely been preserved in their original state and may be explored by visitors. The Neptune Fountain, Obelisk Fountain, Roman Ruin and above all the Gloriette, which stands on a visual axis with the palace and affords a view over the entire grounds, constitute the defining features of the gardens, which were designed as a continuation of the palace s stately interiors. Since the palace and its grounds were hived off from federal administration in 1992, funds for its maintenance and revitalization have been generated by the operating company, Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H. (SKB), from lowimpact tourism. The circumstance that the palace and its park can today be seen Page 2/6

3 largely in their original state is due to the most intensive phase of construction since the Baroque complex was built. Apart from repairs carried out to remediate the worst of the damage that occurred during the Second World War, very little in the way of building maintenance had been undertaken for several decades. Since the inception of the SKB a comprehensive and continuous programme of construction has been instituted to conserve and/or restore the palace complex as faithfully as possible to its original state. In order to explore the history of the buildings on this site and to guarantee that renovation has the least possible impact on the historic substance, the SKB carries out its own programme of research. Since 1992 a total of over EUR 200 million has been invested. Part of this investment has been used to create additional attractions in order to reach new target groups and to relieve the pressure on the state rooms, which have only limited capacity in terms of visitor numbers. For example, a children's museum has been set up in the palace, part of which occupies a number of rooms in the suite decorated with frescos by the Baroque artist Johann Wenzel Bergl. The museum has hands-on exhibits, giving children a playful introduction to life in imperial times. Following extensive restoration, further rooms with exotic landscape murals by Bergl are used from time to time for temporary exhibitions. The park boasts further attractions, based largely on historical models, such as the Privy Garden or the Maze, the Labyrinth and Labyrinthikon. Representing an extension of the historical Maze, the Labyrinthikon playground translates the concepts of seeking and discovering into a contemporary idiom. Over a total area of 7,000 square metres a varied range of play installations offer children an opportunity to discover and explore. With a length of 189 metres and a width of ten metres, the eighteenthcentury Orangery at Schönbrunn is one of the largest orangery buildings in Europe after Versailles. Its original ducted heating system still provides a constant temperature of 10 C, enabling exotics such as bitter oranges, olive trees or myrtles to be overwintered. With the functions rooms in the former Apothecaries Wing the SKB has created an additional income stream. Available for hire, these conference and event rooms combine historical charm with state-of-the-art equipment and technology. Extending over a total area of 2,700 square meters, the center has ten rooms in a variety of sizes and ambiences, providing the perfect setting for private and business functions of all kinds. Participants at events also have access to the adjacent Baroque Orangery Garden and several attractively planted courtyards. Since 1992 there has been a huge increase in visitor numbers at Schönbrunn Palace. In 2016 there were 3.72 million admissions to the palace and garden attractions (compared with 1.2 million in 1993). Schönbrunn Palace is thus Austria s most frequently visited tourist attraction. Another six million people annually use the freely accessible park, which is not just a tourist attraction but an important Page 3/6

4 recreational amenity for the city s residents. In dealing with thousands of visitors every day, the SKB prides itself on providing the best possible service and security. Electronic ticketing allows visitors to book the precise time of admission in advance, thus avoiding long waiting times. The SKB provides audio guides in sixteen languages and printed tour descriptions in twenty-one languages free of charge. Dedicated guided tours for blind and visually-impaired people are available by arrangement, while video guides playing sign language videos can be provided for deaf and hearing-impaired visitors. All attractions can be booked individually or with combination tickets. Other imperial attractions managed by the SKB in Vienna can be visited with a combination ticket. For example, the Sisi Ticket includes admission to Schönbrunn palace, the Vienna Hofburg and the Hofmobiliendepot Imperial Furniture Collection. Combination tickets are also available for Schloss Hof and Schloss Niederweiden in the Marchfeld as an SKB site. Tickets are available online from a platform shared by a number of Austrian institutions representing the history and influence of the imperial dynasty. An ideal complement to visiting Schönbrunn Palace is the SKB s online portal World of the Habsburgs available at Anybody wanting to know more about the dynasty can explore the interactive website which contains a wealth of texts and images examining the lives and times of the most important Habsburg rulers in a critical light. Page 4/6

5 Schönbrunn Palace Contact Schloß Schönbrunn A-1130 Wien Phone: info@schoenbrunn.at Website: Booking Phone: reservierung@schoenbrunn.at Proprietor 100% Republic of Austria Represented by the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy. Management Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H. Mag. Klaus Panholzer, Managing Director Opening hours Last admission to the various attractions within 45 minutes before closing time! Palace 1 April 30 June am to 5.30 pm 1 July 31 August am to 6.30 pm 1 September 5 November am to 5.30 pm 5 November 30 March am to 5.00 pm Privy Garden and Orangery Garden 15 March 30 June am to 5.00 pm 1 July 31 August am to 6.00 pm Page 5/6

6 1 September 28 October am to 5.00 pm 29 October 5 November am to 4.00 pm Maze & Labyrinth, Gloriette Panorama Terrace 15 March 30 June am to 6.00 pm 1 July 31 August am to 7.00 pm 1 September 30 September am to 6.00 pm 1 October 28 October am to 5.00 pm 29 October 5 November am to 4.00 pm Children s Museum / The Schönbrunn Palace Experience Saturday, Sunday and holidays from am to 5.00 pm (Last admission 4.00pm) additional opening times: 6 Februar to 12 February : daily from am to 5.00 pm 15 March to 5 November 2017: daily from am to 5.00 pm Last admission 4.00 pm Press contact: Mag. phil. Evelyn Larcher Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H. Schloß Schönbrunn, Kavalierstrakt A-1130 Wien Phone: presse@schoenbrunn.at Last update: 2017/09/01 Page 6/6