At the Schloss Schönbrunn, also known as Schonbrunn Imperial Palace, in Vienna, Austria

 “Vienna is a handsome, lively city, and pleases me exceedingly.”

– Frederic Chopin
=========================================================================
(in the northeastern corner of Austria, between the foothills of the Alps and the Carpathians, where the Danube), Europe’s second longest river, has cut its course through the mountains) The city of Vienna is situated alongside the river, most of it on the right bank. The Vienna basin was a nodal point of ancient trade and military routes. It linked north and south along the “amber route” that ran southward from the Baltic and linked east and west along the Danube. Strategically, Vienna commands the surrounding regions that include sections of Austria’s border with Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.

+ Featured here is Schloss Schönbrunn, also known as Schonbrunn Imperial Palace. in Vienna, Austria. A Rococo-style 1,440-room summer palace of the Habsburgs in Vienna, it was Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach’s first design for the building, meant to rival France’s Palace of Versailles; it was done in 1690. A second, somewhat less ornate, plan, however, dating from 1695–96 was adopted, and the palace was finished by 1711. The palace and its gardens were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996.

+ The Schloss, (shown here with Neptune's Fountain in the foreground) and the Gloriette, on the grounds of Schloss Schönbrunn, was first modified in 1737 by Johann’s son Josef Emanuel Fischer von Erlach and again in 1744 by Nikolaus Pacassi. The formal gardens were originally laid out ca. 1705–06 by Jean-Nicolas Jadot de Ville-Issey, and from 1765 were redesigned by Ferdinand von Hohenberg. The Schönbrunn Tiergarten, perhaps the oldest zoo in Europe, was founded within the grounds in 1752. (The entire park complex, open to the public since 1918, covers more than 2 sq km [3/4 sq. mi.]).

+ Every day from mid-November, this spectacle transports visitors into a fairytale world that transforms the beauty of winter, the magic of darkness, and the baroque charm of the castle into an enchanted experience of light. The Winter Wonderland is home to a variety of glowing motifs with some interactive elements as well as an impressive projection show to create a unique experience for guests of all ages.

+ Through a tunnel of light, visitors are taken on a journey through the magic of Schönbrunn, seeing the animals of the hunting garden, the glowing bees, the romantic places of "Sisi and Franz," the dress for the grand baroque ball and then of course the grand imperial ballroom, which will delight the audience with the sounds of the waltz. (time frame: November 15, 2023 to February 4, 2024).