Schönbrunn Palace is one of Europe's most impressive Baroque palaces and one of the top attractions in Vienna. The palace was built at the end of the 17th century as a summer residence for the emperors of the Habsburg Empire. Marie Antoinette, Napoleon and Empress Elizabeth (better known as Sisi) have all lived at Schloss Schönbrunn at some point. You can easily spend a day here: take the Grand Tour and then enjoy a walk through the labyrinth.
The original building on this location was a hunting lodge built by Emperor Maximilian in 1559. After the Turks destroyed the lodge in 1683, Leopold I thought it was time to build a new palace. He commissioned Austrian architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach to design one. Between 1745 and 1760 architect Nicolaus Pacassi expanded the building, and guided by Empress Maria Theresia he created a graceful interior in a rococo style.