For our last planned evening in Vienna, we toured the Schönbrunn Palace as well as attended a dinner and and concert within the palace complex. The palace grounds were owned by the Hapsburgs starting in the late 16th century and the palace itself (as it's seen today) was constructed mid-18th century. Maria Theresa oversaw construction after receiving the grounds as a wedding present from her father. The impressively large palace has over 1440 rooms and the ones on the tour were furnished as they would have been during Maria Theresa's reign. Not only was it incredible to see such extravagant rooms, but our tour itself was particularly special. We arrived at the palace after closing and were shown in to meet our guide. The palace was empty, from what I could tell, so we had a private after-hours tour with no rush and no other tourists around which to maneuver. One thing I enjoyed searching for in each room was hidden doors. In the royal palace (along with many other historic homes), there were separate passageways for the servants to use. Doors from the passageways were typically designed to blend in with the decor, so they can take a bit to spot. I would love to get a behind-the-scenes look at the old palaces to get a feel for how they were actually run. On the tours you get to see the polished elegance of royal life, but I wish I could go into the servants' quarters to understand the work it took to keep up the extravagant lifestyle.
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