Accessible entrances at Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunn Palace offers several entrances, but not all are equally accessible for visitors with reduced mobility.

• Meidlinger Tor (south side) is the most wheelchair-friendly entrance, with a step-free route leading directly into the grounds and toward the Zoo and Palm House. This gate avoids the cobblestone-heavy forecourt at the Haupttor, making it easier for wheelchairs, scooters, and strollers.
  
• Haupttor (main gate) has some steps at the entry, but once inside the forecourt, ramps are available to reach the palace interior. Most guided tours begin here, so if you’re using a wheelchair or need extra assistance, set aside an extra 10 to 15 minutes to move through the courtyard and ramps before your tour begins.
  
• The Hietzinger gate and Orangery entrance both provide step-free access into the gardens and concert venue, respectively. The Orangery has level entryways and concert seating with reserved wheelchair spots.

Across the site, ramps, tactile paving, and clear signage are in place, though the historic layout means some uneven surfaces remain. Wheelchairs can be borrowed at the palace’s Information Center (ID required, subject to availability).

If you have a registered disability of 50% or more, you receive free admission to Schönbrunn Palace. One companion may also enter free of charge. Simply show valid proof of disability at the ticket counter when you arrive—no need to book separately online.

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How to navigate between entrances?

• Crowds at the Haupttor: Start via Hietzinger Tor for a calmer garden approach, then walk to the Main Gate for your palace slot; the gardens open from 6:30am, so you can arrive early and drift in before tours begin.
  
• Zoo + Palace day: Begin at Meidlinger Tor (closest to the Zoo and Palm House), and after your zoo visit, walk through the gardens to the Haupttor for the palace interiors. If you are arriving by public transport, the Zoo is best reached via Hietzinger Tor near U4 Hietzing, while Meidlinger Tor is more convenient for south-side parking.
  
• Day visit + evening concert: Tour via Haupttor, then walk about 300m along Schönbrunner Schlossstraße to the Orangery entrance opposite U4 Schönbrunn for the Mozart & Strauss concert.

Routes and tips

• To walk inside the park from the Haupttor to Hietzinger Tor, go straight through the Great Parterre, pass the Neptune Fountain, and continue west on flat, signposted paths; the gardens are free to enter and open daily from 6:30am.
  
• To reach Meidlinger Tor on foot, follow the palace’s south side toward the Palm House and the Desert House; the gate sits by the zoo edge, and the paths are mostly level.
  
• For the Orangery from the Haupttor, exit the forecourt onto Schönbrunner Schlossstraße, turn left, and walk 3 to 5 minutes to the doors opposite U4 Schönbrunn.
  
• Prefer less walking? Use the Schönbrunn panorama train, which serves nine stops including Hietzinger Tor, the Palm House and Zoo, and the Gloriette; it is wheelchair and pram accessible and runs daily from mid-March to October.
  
• For the fastest switch outside the walls, ride the U4 metro line one stop between Hietzing and Schönbrunn; from Schönbrunn station, it is a 5 to 7-minute walk to the main gate.

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