The Schonbrunn Palace is located on the outskirts of Vienna. It served as a retreat to the imperial family during the hot summer months. Schonbrunn actually means beautiful spring.
It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1996.
Schonbrunn was transformed into what we see today by Maria Theresa. Originally a hunting lodge, Schonbrunn became the summer residence of Maria Theresa. She loved the Rococo style and Chinese paneling. (I cannot provide pictures as pictures indoors are strictly prohibited. However, it's a great museum to visit if you are ever in the neighborhood.)
At the age of 6 years old, Mozart gave his first concert to Maria Theresa in the Schonbrunn Palace.
Emperor Franz Joseph was born and died in the palace. He believed himself to be the first civil servant. As such, he often worked well into the night and woke up before the sunrise. When Emperor Franz Joseph learned of his wife's death, he threw himself even more into his work. He is said to have said "you do not know how much I loved this woman".
The garden is lined with 32 statues depicting deities. The statue in this picture is of Mars and Minerva.
The Neptune Fountain was designed by Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg at the request of Maria Theresa in the late 1700s.
The Neptune Fountain sits between the Great Parterre (i.e. the garden) and the Gloriette (i.e. the imperial-styled gazebo).
The towering building above the trees on the right is Stephansdom (i.e. the center of Vienna).
There's even a Christmas Market during the winter!