See Vienna from above at the Gloriette in Schönbrunn Palace

The Pavilion that crowned an empire

Built in 1775, the Gloriette anchors the horizon of Schönbrunn Palace, designed to showcase both the strength of the Habsburgs and the beauty of the city spread out below. Shaped by court architect Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg as a triumphal arch or ‘temple of renown’, its arcades, martial sculptures, and the great imperial eagle at the crest embodied the heights of Habsburg power.

Emperor Franz Joseph I once used its central hall as a breakfast room, and by the 19th century, visitors were already praising the view from its terrace, writing that “Vienna and its surrounds lie at your feet”. Today, its café keeps that tradition alive, offering guests the rare chance to sip coffee in the same pavilion where emperors once began their day before stepping outside to one of the most sweeping panoramas of the city.

Visiting the Gloriette: Queues, tickets, and access

Queues and waiting times

Unlike the palace’s State Rooms, you won’t find long, snaking queues at the Gloriette itself. The only point where lines form is at the entrance to the Panorama Terrace, especially in the summer season (July and August) between 10:30am and 3pm. At those times, you may wait 5 to 10 minutes as groups file in. Outside peak months (November to March) or early morning or late afternoon, access is usually immediate.

Access with standard tickets

All Schönbrunn Palace tickets, including guided tours, skip-the-line passes, and combos, give you access to the gardens, which means you can freely walk up to the Gloriette and enjoy its exterior views all year round. This is included at no extra cost, as the gardens are open daily from 6:30am, with closing times ranging from 5:30pm in winter to 9:00pm in summer.

Access to the Panorama Terrace

All palace tickets include the gardens and views of the Gloriette, but you need a separate pass to step onto the Panorama Terrace.

The terrace is open seasonally from April 1 to November 2:

• April to June & September to October: 9:30am to 5:30pm
  
• July to August: 9:30am to 6:30pm
  
• October 26 to November 2: 9:30am to 4pm
  
• Note: Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.

Cafe access

You can visit Café Gloriette on the ground level without a terrace ticket. It’s open daily and especially popular for breakfast and Sunday brunch, so book ahead on weekends.

Visitor tips

• Go early in the morning when the gardens are quiet and mist sometimes lingers over Vienna, or at sunset when the city glows in golden light. Midday tends to flatten the views and crowd the café.
  
• For unique shots, stand at the Neptune Fountain below, which perfectly frames the Gloriette on the hill. Conversely, from the terrace, the long axis view back to the palace is one of Vienna’s great ‘hidden postcard’ perspectives.
  
• After visiting, wander behind the Gloriette hill: there are wooded paths and meadows rarely visited by tourists, offering a calm contrast to the grand Parterre below.
  
• In September and October, the hill blazes with autumn foliage that makes the arcades stand out in photos. From December to February, the Gloriette is sometimes used for Christmas events or dusted with snow, with far fewer tourists making the climb.