The Schoenbrunn Palace was built on the site of a hunting lodge used by Maximilllian II. Initiated by Leopold I in 1695, it was not until the empress Maria Theresa took control that the project was completed in the mid 18th century. The 1,441 room palace is Baroque in design with lavish state rooms designed in the Rococo and Chinoiserie styles - only a fraction of which are open to the public.

Schoenbrunn was the Summer palace of Hapsburg royal family and includes original pieces of furniture and paintings of the royal family through the years. Most notable of the occupants were Franz Josef and his wife Cisi, the Princess Diana of her time. Franz Josef's reign was one of the longest of any monarch rivalling that of Queen Victoria. His statues appear all over Vienna and he is regarded as a hard working and benevolent ruler. He died in 1916 at 81 years of age. Two years later the monarchy was desolved.

Behind the palace are huge gardens, crisscrossed with paths, at the end of some are various statues, fountains and follies. A carriage museum, orangerie, glass houses and even a zoo (tiergarden) all form parts of the grounds.

At the far end, on a hill, which overlooks the garden, palace and the city, is the Gloriette. Designed as an entertainment hall, it was a favourate dining room for Cisi. Nowadays, it is a cafe.