Schloss Hof, Lower Austria
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Area of Schloss Hof Estate
Austria's Most Beautiful Palace Gardens
Austria is home to many impressive palaces with vast parklands. The same pathways once frequented by local aristocrats are now used by visitors enjoying the artfully designed palace gardens.
Symbiosis of Architecture and Nature
Austria's castles and palaces line up from east to west like pearls on a precious necklace, offering many opportunities to delve into the country's eventful past. It is not only the historic buildings themselves that are worth a journey. Often, the exquisitely designed gardens, parks and pleasure grounds with their intriguing details are true gems of garden architecture.
From geometrically designed gardens to charming Alpine gardens, from Romanticism to Historicism, from pleasure gardens to waterparks: Austria's palace gardens are as multifaceted as they are magical. Many palace gardens date back centuries and offer welcome respite during the hot summer months. It comes as no surprise that visitors value a stroll through these green oases as a rejuvenating break from their itineraries.
Austrians have long nurtured a special relationship with nature and architecture. It is something that is deeply enshrined in the national psyche. Early gardens were designed to capture and enjoy the most beautiful aspects of nature. Today, these opulent gardens are the perfect places to take a leisurely stroll, explore, or just linger and relax.
Did you know?
Palace gardens are fabulous destinations offering peace and relaxation. Their vast expanses are also essential refuges for many animal and plant species. For that reason, many palace gardens are now converting their meticulously kept green lawns into wildflower meadows:
One example is the Gloriette-Meadow in the palace gardens of Schönbrunn in Vienna, where abundant wildflowers now create a paradise for insects.
Salzburg’s parks, which include its palace gardens, now feature many “wild (flower) corners.” Mowing schedules take into account the seasonal cycle of local fauna and flora.
No matter whether palace gardens, roundabouts or grass strips – every bit of green space makes a difference when it comes to preserving biodiversity. With that in mind, even traffic islands along Austria’s roadways are converted into bee meadows.
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- The green rose is at home in the Styrian Garden Castle of Herberstein.
- All the roses grown in the park of Eggenberg Palace were known and cultivated before 1837. This is also true for the ancient olive tree or the impressive Albizia.
- The Fockea – an offshoot of the oldest potted succulent in the world – awaits visitors in the glasshouse of Schönbrunn.
- The Meierhof at Schloss Hof cultivates many traditional varieties of flowers, herbs, vegetables and fruit.
- Every spring, the “rarity exchange” is held at the Botanical Gardens of Belvedere Palace. It is the place to find something special for your own garden or balcony.
- Botanical treasures such as the tulip tree, the Kentucky coffee tree, the cedar of Lebanon, the hop hornbeam, the Japanese coral beam or the pine tree grove can be seen in the gardens of Esterházy Palace.
Schloss Hof, Lower Austria
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Palace Gardens with UNESCO Designation
Unusual Palace Gardens
Palace Gardens with a Romantic History
Palace Gardens and Biodiversity
Palace Gardens Showcasing Technical Innovations
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