After you have made the obligatory tour around the Schonbrunn schloss, and you begin exploring the gardens, the Palm house is one of those attractions you feel inclined to skip. If you ever did (like myself, on my first visit to Schonbrunn), it was a mistake.
The palm gardens are amazing. You need to love nature and green to enjoy being there to the fullest, however. There is nothing shockingly exciting or adrenalin intense there. The best you can do is sit on one of the white benches in the cool section to the left of the main entrance, and let your spirits relax to the tune of spring water babbling and birds chirping. Totally feng shui.
We visited in early November, which added to the beauty of the whole experience. The Maze was closed, the roses were no longer in full bloom, the trees were way beyond autumn red-and-yellow beauty, so the Palm House immediately transported us into an incredible spring mood. There was a pumpkin exhibition as well. Did you know there are more than 58 different types of pumpkins? From Aladin's turban, to the pimpled sweet small pumpkin, hundreds of colorful squashes added to the cheerful mood.
Be carefull not to miss the warm humid tropical section. It is very difficult to breathe there, and drops of water ooze from basically everywhere. The most pleasing section is the orchids corner, the smell makes you feel like a drug addict. You just want more of it. You will also find the palms with the biggest leaves possible, more than 2,5 metres long - Coco de Mer, and The Traveler's Palm.
There is even a carnivirous plant section, which we learned about after we left, so make sure you find it. Look also for the tree called Budha's hand with fruits resembling yellow fingers.
The Palmenhaus was built in 1882 at the time of the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph. It was built by one of the predecessors of Waagner Biro, a company with 150-years of history, which also carried out the reconstruction of the Dome of St. Stephen's cathedral after World War 2, and build the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai.
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