"Schonbrunn was supposed to have been the Versailles of the Austrian Empire; but the Hapsburgs were very different from the Kings of France and would never wanted to present themselves to their subjects as gods. Therefore Schronbrunnn was built as both a palace and a summer residence for the numerous families of the rulers. Construction was started at the end of the 17th century, but the history of Schonbrunn had began much earlier than that. It is said that Emperor Mathias II, returning from the hunt one day near the country residence of Katterburg, found a spring of crystal clear water that he called schoner Brunnen (lovely spring)."

Visited in 1987, 1994, 2001