Schönbrunn Group

With Schönbrunn Palace, the Vienna Furniture Museum, the Sisi Museum in the Vienna Hofburg and the Schloss Hof Estate, the Schönbrunn Group, which is registered as Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H., administers in the name of the Republic of Austria the foremost attractions of Austria’s Imperial heritage. Starting in 1992, these cultural assets owned by the Republic of Austria were successively entrusted to the Schönbrunn Group in the form of usufruct and lease contracts.

The mission of the Schönbrunn Group is to generate the means of preserving and restoring the historical monuments through sensitive and customer-friendly usage. The key focus of these endeavours is on the optimal protection of the historical substance. In making these monuments accessible to cultural, touristic and leisure activities, the Schönbrunn Group takes particular care to integrate touristic infrastructures as smoothly and sensitively as possible.

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MANAGEMENT & ADVISORY BOARDS

Supervisory Board

Historico-cultural Advisory Council

Since 1 October 1992, management has been in the hands of Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H. This is a limited liability company owned entirely by the Republic of Austria. Its legal basis is a federal law allowing the operation of Schönbrunn Palace to be outsourced to a private company.

In addition, Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H. is advised by an Historico-Cultural Advisory Council consisting of 20 members, various specialists in art history and the preservation of historic monuments, museum and tourism experts. The Council must be consulted on all relevant issues of touristic use.

The overall site and complex of Schönbrunn is owned by the Republic of Austria, and the operating company's contract with the state is based on a usufructuary right. While, on the one hand, all proceeds from operations flow into the company, on the other hand, the company must undertake all necessary expenditure. It receives no subsidies, and investments are made without any liability being accepted by the state.
 

Schönbrunn Group wins 2023 Gold Export Prize

The Schönbrunn Group was awarded the 2023 Gold Export Prize in the category Tourism & Leisure by Advantage Austria, the trade promotion organisation of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber.
 

Schönbrunn Group: an ECOPROFIT® company

Since 2002, the Schönbrunn Group has been an „ECOPROFIT® company“, and aims to ensure that all business operations are as environmentally-friendly as possible. The underlying concept of ECOPROFIT® (Ecological Project for Integrated Environmental Protection) is the link between ecological benefit and economic gain.
 

Austrian Leading Sights - The voice of cultural tourism

Since 2019, the association Austrian Leading Sights has represented Austria’s principal tourist attractions, and it now has 50 members. The Schönbrunn Group was a driving force behind establishment of Austrian Leading Sights, and the Schönbrunn Group’s CEO, Klaus Panholzer, is President of the organisation.
 

European Royal Residences

The Association of European Royal Residences (ARRE) was founded in 2001 on the initiative of the Palace of Versailles, where it is also headquartered. This unparalleled European network now has numerous members, representing a unique heritage and acting as a leading representative of European culture. The Association, of which the Schönbrunn Group was a founding member, has two primary aims: firstly, the active sharing of knowledge and experience between members across a wide range of areas – including research, heritage conservation, management, culture, tourism, and more – and, secondly, raising public awareness of our common European heritage.
 

Schönbrunn Palace: Celebrating 30 years as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Schönbrunn Palace is one of Austria’s most important cultural assets and, since the 1960s, has ranked among Vienna’s leading tourist attractions. In December 1996, at the 20th session of the World Heritage Committee, Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, first established in 1972. Awarding of this world-renowned accolade underlines the significance of the Palace, Gardens and Schönbrunn Zoo as a Gesamtkunstwerk, a synthesis of art forms creating a unified and harmonious ensemble.
 

Schönbrunn Palace wins Tourism Stars Award

Schönbrunn Palace has been named Cultural Heritage Ambassador of the Year. This prestigious national award recognises excellence, sustainability and innovation in tourism.
 

Vienna Hofburg: European Heritage Label

Since 2014, the European Union has recognised cultural sites with strong symbolic significance for the common history, unity and identity of Europe. These include monuments, memorials, archaeological and industrial sites, cultural landscapes, cultural assets and intangible cultural heritage. To date, 38 sites have been recognised across the EU, among them the Vienna Hofburg in 2016.
 

Multiple awards for the online platforms “World of the Habsburgs” and “The First World War and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy”

The interactive web portal “World of the Habsburgs” (www.habsburger.net) presents a virtual exhibition on the history of the Habsburg monarchy, covering a wide range of topics including the private and public lives of the Habsburgs. Through extensive text and imagery, a critical examination is undertaken of the life and works of leading Habsburg rulers, shedding light on contemporary historical contexts. The online platform “The First World War and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy” (ww1.habsburger.net) is conceived as a virtual exhibition addressing the history of the 1914-1918 War in Austria.

• Erasmus EuroMedia Awards 2010/Seal of Approval
• State Prize for Multimedia and e-Business, winner in the category Culture, Learning and Knowledge
• Comenius EduMedia Seal and Comenius EduMedia Medal
• World Summit Award 2011 in the category e-Culture and Heritage
• EuroMedia Seal of Approval and
• Erasmus EuroMedia Special Award
   

Meetings & Events

In 2017, Schönbrunn Palace Meetings & Events received the Austrian Wedding Award in the category Best Location/ Ceremonial Hall for the Maria Theresa Room in the Apothekertrakt, and in 2019 was awarded the Special Prize for Best Event Location at the Austrian Event Awards. In 2018, Schloss Hof Estate won the Austrian Wedding Award in the category Best Location. The Orangery at Schönbrunn Palace was named Best Reception Venue at the 2026 Prestigious Star Awards in London.
 

Schloss Hof Estate

By avoiding the use of synthetic chemical pesticides and fertilisers as well as peat, the Schloss Hof gardening team is making a vital contribution to environmental, species and climate protection in Lower Austria. The show garden on the estate farm and the orangery at Schloss Hof were recently again honoured with a Golden Hedgehog Award, presented annually by the Lower Austrian environmental initiative “Natur im Garten”. In addition, the Restaurant Kräutergarten received two forks and 85 points in the Falstaff Restaurant & Inn Guide 2026, and boasts an AMA GOURMET REGION quality seal.