Old Vienna: Schonbrunn Palace
If you want to see a palace that looks like those in fairy tales where princesses and princes roam about in beautiful buildings and halls, then walk around in their fancy dress in a majestically beautiful garden, I say go to Schonbrunn Palace. This is one of my favorite sites in Vienna. Schonbrunn was the summer residence of the imperial family and dates back to 1695. The palace itself was commissioned since then, but it wasn't completed until 1730. It has lived through wars and seen deaths. It was Napoleon's headquarters from 1805 to 1809 and it was here that Emperor Franz Josef died. It was also here that Emperor Karl I abdicated from the throne in 1918. History came and passed by here. In the olden days, this must have been considered far for the Viennese and outside of the city. I imagine carriage trips through fields and hills, but now the city has grown and it is easily accessible by bus and underground. A su...