Hietzing - Palace and Zoo

"The Habsburg Theme Park"

"The Habsburg Theme Park"

Hietzing is one of the largest districts of Vienna, located in the south western corner of the city. Over half of the district is covered by the Lainzer Tiergarten, a wildlife preserve created in 1561 by Ferdinand I. In the other half lays the Schönbrunn Palace and the quaint suburb of Hietzing. The clever title of "The Habsburg Theme Park" comes from the verity of amusements and amenities that belonged to the Habsburg royalty in this corner of town which now visitors around the world can visit. With a wildlife preserves, a world class zoo, a quaint cafe surrounded by a gorgeous town, and a number of monumental royal structures, Heitzing is certainly a diverse and target stop for tourists of all kinds.  

 The Schönbrunn Palace 

In the heart of the 13th district stands the Schönbrunn Palace and the Vienna Zoo. This 120 acre palace was not simply erected one afternoon by the Habsburg Empire; rather the Schönbrunn has a heritage nearly 500 years. Depending on which entrance taken, the Schönbrunn holds a number of sculptures, fountains, mazes and gardens in addition to the magnificent palace itself.

To make things simple, walking into the front entrance allows a face to face encounter with the Palace, as seen in the photo below. With the perspective of the photo, to your left is Princess Sissi’s Garden. While walking through this portion of the garden, you will notice the fantastic arbors and vines growing above and beside you.

 

Behind the palace and into the back yard of the Schönbrun lies a giant courtyard. On the perimeter of this giant backyard of sorts, stand 32 sculptures of deities and icons of Austrian music and Greek mythology.

 These beautiful statues surround the “Great Parterre” or ground flower artwork that adds a floral majesty of the palace. Sitting upon the back hill behind the palace is the unmistakable Neptune Fountain and Gloriette.

Although the Castle is created in the Baroque style, you can find a verity of Romanic “ruins” and sculptures. To the right side of the Neptune fountain stands “The ruins of Carthage” created in 1778 by architect Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg. Despite its convincing appearance, these horticultural features are not ruins, rather they a result of the romantic movement in the mid to end of the 18^th century. Keep your eyes open to the symbolism and emotion evoking work.

Just a few moments away from this ruin is the Obelisk Fountain, also a work of architect Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg, which takes on a less Romanic but eastern look to show the Habsburg superiority and imperial stability.     

Tiergarten Schönbrunn

Last of all, along the left side of the Palace grounds is the Tiergarten Schönbrunn, or Zoo of Vienna. This zoo can be appreciated for both its verity of exotic creatures (as seen in the pictures below) and its novelty among Zoos worldwide.

 The Tiergarten Schönbrunn is the oldest Zoo still running, founded in 1752 by the Habsburg Empire as a private collection of animals. Moreover, the zoo ranks number one amongst zoos in Europe due to its intentions for species conservation and its collection of baroque buildings. The zoo has a number of cute, clever and massive animals from around the world that will truly keep you entertained and intrigued all day along.

The Schönbrunn Palace is the most visited attraction in all of Vienna and is accredited as a world Heritage sight. Personally, it’s a must see of Austria and a great place to walk, think, learn and pray. Enjoy your adventure and have a great time!