Gallery » EUROPE/AFRICA/ MIDDLE EAST » Round the World 2019 - Europe » Vienna 2019 » 31 July: Schonbrunn Palace
We were up early today as Ed realized he had left his jacket in the Club the previous evening. After a quick check in the Club, he was directed downstairs where he quickly obtained his jacket from lost & found. With that task accomplished, we enjoyed an earlier breakfast before heading out for the day.
We decided to visit Schonbrunn Palace. It began as an imperial hunting lodge for Emperor Joseph I and grew into a palatial imperial residence over the course of the Eighteenth Century. We had intended to take a train directly there from the Landstrasse Station (U3 line) but works on that line meant we could only ride as far as Karlsplatz where the train turned around. So, we got out a metro map and figured an alternate route – riding the U3 to the U6 line where we made a change at Langentfeldg and were then road back on the U3 to Schonbrunn, our metro stop.
Once there it was a pretty long walk to reach the Palace. It’s an amazing place! Initially it was swarming with tour groups but it seemed like their visits were short-lived. We walked through the gardens and were amazed at the walkways. Many were lined with trees trimmed as shrubs so that it looked like a wall of green on either side.
The Schonbrunn complex is so large we had to use a map to navigate the various gardens. The flowers were in full bloom and gorgeous. There were lots of fountains spraying a fine mist which helped one to cool down. The gardens also included a maze (no, we didn’t try to find our way in or out). Spending the day in the gardens was a wonderful way to enjoy the end of August!
Afterwards we once again walked to the metro station and began the long journey home. We had our usual Diet Coke upon returning to The Hilton. Then, it was time to do some packing in anticipation of tomorrow’s departure. Afterwards, we returned to the Club Lounge to enjoy our final evening there.
