Fully comprehensive visitor service at the main entrance from autumn 2012

In future Schönbrunn Palace will welcome its visitors directly at the main entrance. In the Guards’ Wing to the left of the entrance to the Parade Court a Visitor Centre is being constructed to offer comprehensive service supported by the latest technology. Work is scheduled to be completed by autumn 2012.

Information and interaction

Spacious ticket sales zones with six desks for individual visitors backed by additional ticket machines will guarantee prompt processing of ticket sales. Designed to accommodate 400 visitors at any one time, the Centre will boast comfortable waiting areas and a café together with a well-stocked shop and toilets. The project was initiated in response to the encouraging upward trend in visitor numbers and will ensure that a visit to Schönbrunn is an enjoyable experience right from the beginning.

Spacious reception centre

Plans for the project were drawn up in close collaboration with the Austrian Federal Office for the Protection of Historic Monuments. Partition walls in the interior of the Guards’ Wing are being removed completely and the roof structure renewed. This will enable the space to be converted into a spacious reception centre for visitors. The façades are being renovated and will remain largely unchanged, thus preserving the overall appearance of the ensemble. On the west side the historical doorways will be restored, opening up the view to the outside. Costs are currently estimated at EUR 5m. All possible effort is being made to ensure the work is completed on schedule.