Read below for the most comprehensive and detailed information on the two beautiful palaces.
Table of Contents:
- The Most Recommended Palace – Prince Eugene of Savoy’s Hunting Lodge
- Niederweiden Palace – 5 minutes’ drive from the large hunting lodge
- How to get to the palaces by public transport from Vienna?
Schloss Hof – Prince Eugene of Savoy’s Hunting Lodge
Even if you are short on time on your way to Bratislava, it is recommended to stop at least at this palace, especially if you are traveling with children. The palace, its surrounding gardens, and the activities for children definitely make it a popular attraction outside of Vienna.
The Story of Schloss Hof
Before Prince Eugene’s hunting lodge stood here, the site held a small hunting manor built in 1620 on the remains of a medieval fortress. Surrounded by vast lands, the area was ideal for hunting. In 1725, Prince Eugene of Savoy purchased the estate and transformed it into a magnificent hunting palace, adding new wings and extensive royal gardens.
Highly skilled artists designed and decorated the palace, and some also worked on Vienna’s Belvedere Palace. The richly decorated rooms reflect the great investment in the project, especially since Prince Eugene lived there part of the time. After his death, with no direct heirs, the palace passed to his niece.
The palace was eventually sold to Maria Theresa of the House of Habsburg, who carried out major renovations and improvements. To accommodate more guests, she added another floor and redesigned the palace in the Neo-classical style. Each year, the Habsburgs spent several weeks there, using it mainly for hunting and relaxation. After the death of her husband, Emperor Francis Stephen, Maria Theresa also used the palace as her temporary residence during widowhood.
After Maria Theresa’s death in 1780, the hunting palace lost its importance, and her heirs rarely visited it. In 1898, Emperor Franz Joseph handed the complex over to the army for use as a training facility, and it remained under military control even after the fall of the monarchy.
During World War II, the palace passed to the German Wehrmacht before the Red Army took control. After the war, it returned to Austrian ownership and underwent extensive renovations. Today, the palace serves as a museum and exhibition space dedicated to the Habsburg emperors.
This is what the Palace looks like
Parts of the Palace
- The Royal Apartment: The royal apartment is located in the palace’s north wing and once served as Prince Eugene’s living quarters. After Maria Theresa acquired the palace, she had the rooms renovated between 1773 and 1775 and adapted them to her needs. The apartment includes a coffee room, dining room, games room for card and chess, drawing room, and bedroom. All rooms are richly decorated and preserve the original furniture.
- The Chapel: As is customary in royal palaces, this palace also has a chapel decorated with impressive wall and ceiling paintings depicting the story of Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit. In this chapel, Maria Christina, Maria Theresa’s beloved daughter, married her chosen one, Duke Albert, after whom the famous Albertina Museum takes its name.
- The Ballroom: This spacious room once hosted events for the palace residents and originally contained game tables. Today, it is used for concerts and lit by three large chandeliers. Although altered under Maria Theresa, it still preserves elements from Prince Eugene’s time, including a ceiling mural of the goddess Diana, reflecting its original function as a hunting retreat.
- Maria Theresa’s Apartment: After her husband’s death, Maria Theresa stayed in the palace for a time, and rooms in the southern wing were converted into her apartment. It included an antechamber, audience room, drawing room, servants’ room, and bedroom. Compared to the rest of the palace, the apartment is more restrained, with simpler design, no ceiling paintings, and muted colors.
- The Exhibition Rooms on Prince Eugene of Savoy: Four rooms in the east wing are dedicated to a permanent exhibition on the life and work of the prince who once lived here. A renowned military commander, he became a legend in his lifetime and widely admired figure. He also collected books, artworks, and scientific instruments extensively, and the exhibition displays some of these items.
The Palace Gardens
The steep slopes around the palace allowed Prince Eugene to create a wonderful French-style garden. The gifted garden planner Anton Zinner succeeded within a few years in creating one of the most beautiful gardens in the entire region. The garden is divided into 7 spectacular terraces, each designed with incredible symmetry and precision. On the various terraces, there are impressive fountains such as the Neptune Fountain, the Sibyl Fountain, and the Octagonal Fountain, as well as colorful flowerbeds and various statues. As you climb the beautiful staircases between the different terraces, you can stop and look out over the open areas surrounding the palace. On clear days, you can see a magnificent view of the city of Bratislava and its surroundings.
The Orangery
To allow the cultivation of Prince Eugene’s more delicate plants, the talented architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt built two large orangeries on the castle grounds. The orangeries were built in a modern style of glass and wood. In the early 19th century, the orangeries were converted into residential buildings for the palace workers, but in 2002 they were converted back to serve as orangeries as they were originally intended.
The Palace Farm – Fun Activities for Children
In the 18th century, the farm served as a source of food for the palace residents. Today, it serves as a wonderful attraction for the whole family.
Petting Zoo
At the farm, you can visit the petting zoo with 200 animals of the same types that were on the farm when it was an active residence in past centuries. The animals you can see in the petting zoo are rare white donkeys, Bactrian camels, Lipizzaner horses (like the horses at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna), Noriker horses, ponies, Hungarian sheep, four-horned goats, and white peacocks. Some of the animals roam freely throughout the complex. You can pet some of them and also ride the horses if you wish.
The Bakery
This room was used for baking pastries and bread for the palace residents. The original oven has been preserved and is used for a variety of workshops for children. One of the popular workshops is one where children can bake bread. In the bakery complex, there is also a children’s theater where they can dress up, play, and dance.
The Botanical Gardens
On the palace farm, there are 5 small gardens with a great variety of plants. Some of the plants are intended for food and seasoning, and some are intended to beautify the palace gardens. You can walk among the herb and vegetable gardens, enjoy the diverse scents, taste the ripe fruits, or marvel at the colorful rose garden.
Experiential Trails for Children
In the palace complex, there are two interactive trails for children that include games and tasks around themes related to life in the palace and the farm. Along the trail, children can step into the shoes of a stable boy or a maid in the palace and experience life in the palace from a different perspective. The various stations along the trails present the different crafts that were done in the palace – baking, hunting, gardening, etc. At each station, children can collect points and eventually win a small prize as a souvenir.
Guided Tours in English
You can join a guided tour of the palace and its exhibitions in English. The English tours take place on Sundays at 10:30 AM and cost €5 per participant (in addition to the entrance fee).
Additional Essential Information for Your Visit
Opening Hours:
- Winter (January 1 to March 14): Every day from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Summer (March 15 to November 18): Every day from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Entrance Fees (Combined Ticket for Schloss Hof and Niederweiden Palace):
- Adult: €24
- Child (6-18): €13.50
- Child under 6: Free
- Family ticket (2 Adults and up to 3 Children): €61.50
- Guided Tour in English: €5 (additional)
- Audio Guide in English: Free
- Entrance to the Christmas Market Only: Adult: €8. Child (6-18): €5
You can purchase tickets online.
Official Website
Address: Schloss Hof, Schloßhof 1, 2294 Schloßhof
Map:
Niederweiden Palace – 5 Minutes’ Drive from the Large Hunting Lodge
One of the ideal places to combine with a visit to the hunting lodge is the small Niederweiden Palace (Schloss Niederweiden). The palace also served as a small hunting lodge from the 17th century. The famous architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach built it for Count Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg; he also designed Schönbrunn Palace, St. Charles Church, and the National Library in Vienna.
In 1726, Prince Eugene of Savoy purchased the small hunting lodge and added it to the large hunting complex he had acquired a year earlier. The prince hardly changed the structure, only designing one apartment inside it that served as his private residence. A lavish garden surrounds the palace, with beds of plants arranged in a less symmetrical style than the gardens of the large hunting lodge.
In 1755, Maria Theresa purchased both palaces and redesigned them. Maria Theresa enlisted the best architects and artists to change the appearance of the palace and turn it into a royal and spectacular place. In some of the renovations, magnificent ceiling paintings, special wallpapers, and impressive wall decorations were added to the palace. In 1770, Maria Theresa ordered the construction of a central path between the large palace and the small palace house.
After Maria Theresa’s death, the palace became part of the military camp that operated in the area, and during World War I, it even served as a horse stable. After the fall of the monarchy, the palace passed into state ownership. In the following years, the building continued to be neglected and abandoned, and it was only in 1986 that it was renovated and restored to its former glory. Today, the palace serves as a center for various exhibitions.
Additional Essential Information for Your Visit
Opening Hours:
From March 15 to November 18, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Entrance Fees (Combined Ticket for Both Palaces):
- Adult: €24
- Child (6-18): €13.50
- Child under 6: Free
- Family ticket (2 Adults and up to 3 Children): €61.50
Official Website
Address: Niederweiden 1, 2292 Niederweiden
Map:
How to Get to the Palaces by Public Transport from Vienna?
There are two options to get to the palaces by public transport.
Train:
From Vienna, you can take a regional train from the main train station (Wien Hbf). You need to take the train that stops at the Marchegg station. The journey takes between 45 minutes and an hour. Plan your journey here.
From the Marchegg station, there is a free shuttle every day that will take you directly to both palaces.
The free line operates at the following times:
- Winter (mid-November to mid-March) – Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays: 10:10 AM from Marchegg station to the palaces. The return journey departs at 3:35 PM.
- Summer (mid-March to mid-November) –
- Monday to Friday: 10:00 AM from Marchegg station to the palaces. The return journey departs at 3:45 PM. During the day, there are also shuttles to Niederweiden Palace.
- Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays: 10:10, 11:10, 12:10, 1:10 PM from Marchegg station to the palaces.
- The return journey departs at: 12:45, 3:45, 4:45, 5:45 PM.
Bus (In the Summer Months Only):
From mid-March to the end of October, there is a dedicated bus that travels from Vienna city center to the hunting lodge, Niederweiden Palace, and the ancient Roman city of Carnuntum. This is a tourist bus, so you can hop on and off at the various stops along the route.
For travel costs and more information.
Timetable:
If you are still not sure whether it is worth traveling to Bratislava at all, you can read about 9 reasons why you should combine a trip to Bratislava with a visit to Vienna.
