Baroque Parks and Gardens in Vienna

Park at Schönbrunn Palace

Stroll down long avenues between artfully trimmed hedges, passing statues, fountains and splendid flower beds - maybe towards the Palm House from 1882, the largest in Europe, to the Maze, the Japanese Garden, or up the hill to the Gloriette, where you can enjoy a wonderful view in a Viennese café. A splendid baroque garden awaits you in the formerly private imperial gardens next to the palace, along with a unique collection of cacti in the Desert Pavilion from 1904. Visitors to the world's oldest zoological garden can enjoy the colorful activities of exotic and regional animals. Be amazed by the variety of species and their habitats at Schönbrunn Zoo. 

Tip: If you prefer not to explore the 160-hectare World Heritage site at Schönbrunn on foot, then the best way to see the area is to board the diesel-powered panoramic railway. A full tour of the palace park passes nine stops and takes about fifty minutes at a speed of around 10 km/h. The Palm House and Gloriette are just two of the sights to see. The two trains run daily between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm and stop at the Gloriette and Schönbrunn Palace on the hour and half hour respectively.

More Infos: Panorama train

Belvedere Palace Garden, Alpine Garden and Botanical Garden

Prince Eugen von Savoyen had this Baroque garden laid out around 1700. Today, it is amongst the most important in Europe (open all year, free admission). From March to August, you can experiences the blossoms of 4,000 species of alpine plants at the Upper Belvedere, the oldest alpine garden in the world, created 200 years ago by Archduke Johann. In the nearby Botanical Garden - created by Maria Theresia in 1754 - you will find indigenous and exotic plants. 11,500 species of plants from six continents are cultivated and presented here on an area of eight hectares for the purpose of scientific research and species protection as well as for recreation. The garden is also an urban habitat for domestic species of animals (e.g. 130 species of bee) and constitutes a green oasis in the heart of Vienna, with its old stock of trees and its meadows. Admission to the Botanical Garden and tours of the garden are free!

Did you know that the Park at Schönbrunn Palace and the Palace Gardens of Belverdere are designated World Heritage sites?

Augarten

The Augarten is a public park with a size of 52.2 hectares that has the oldest baroque garden in Vienna. It is located in the second Viennese municipal district. Arranged in the French style, the garden offers not only a ground-floor area with elaborate flower landscapes but also an extensive network of shady avenues lined with chestnut trees, elms, lime trees, ash trees and maple trees. However, as is the case in nearly all of Vienna's state gardens, night-time visits are not possible since the five park gates are closed (from dusk to early morning - the seasonal hours are displayed on metal signs at the gates). The Augarten is also home to a wide range of operations, such as the Vienna Boys' Choir in the Augartenpalais, the Augarten Porcelain Manufactory, the Porcelain Museum, the café-restaurant "décor", and the Austrian Film Archive.

Park at Schönbrunn Palace (Schlosspark Schönbrunn) Entrance at Hietzinger Tor

Maxingstraße
1130   Wien
www.bundesgaerten.at

Map Accessibility Details

Guide dogs permitted

Special offers for disabled persons

Sightseeing-train through the palace park with hydraulic auto-lift for wheelchairs. Daily between 10 am and 6 pm from mid March until the end of October. Reduced price for wheelchair-users.

Comments

Daily until dusk, some sights only accessible through gentle climbs and over gravel paths.

Contacts

• +43 1 877 50 87
• office@bundesgaerten.at