The seven-terrace gardens
Descending to the Morava with restored baroque fountains — the most complete in the region.
C.Stadler/Bwag — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carsten Steger — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carsten Steger — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carsten Steger — CC BY-SA 4.0
Easiest by car, about fifty minutes east. Without one you need a train then a local bus, a longer trip with infrequent and seasonal bus times — check them before building your day around it. Organised trips from Vienna are an option if you want to avoid the logistics.
Schönbrunn is inside Vienna, reached by metro, and should come first if your time is short. Schloss Hof is for someone who has seen Vienna and wants a day in the country: far less crowded, with more complete baroque gardens, and the farm makes it better suited to children. Choose it as a second day rather than a substitute.
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Austria's largest country palace complex, about forty kilometres east of Vienna on the Marchfeld plain near the Slovak border. Prince Eugene of Savoy built it in the eighteenth century and the Empress Maria Theresa later extended it. The idea was a country palace for hunting and retreat away from the formality of Vienna, which explains why it opens outwards onto the land rather than closing around internal courtyards. Its outstanding feature is the gardens: seven terraces descending towards the river Morava, restored to their original baroque design with fountains, steps and basins. These are among the most complete restored baroque gardens in central Europe. Beside the palace is a working historic farm with animals of old Austrian breeds, which makes the visit suit families far more than the word palace suggests. Reaching it needs a car or a journey by train and bus, so count it as a full day rather than half. The site is largely seasonal and much of it is outdoors.
Descending to the Morava with restored baroque fountains — the most complete in the region.
Animals of old Austrian breeds — it makes a palace into a genuine family visit.
Built by Austria's most famous commander and later extended by Maria Theresa.
Marchfeld, about 40 km east of Vienna near the Slovak border