Travel video about destination Schönbrunn Palace in Austria. In Austria in 1569, under Emperor Maximilian the Second, the Habsburg Dynasty acquired the former Maierhof as a hunting estate and Emperor Franz Joseph permitted the young architect, Fischer von Erlach, to design a new royal residence, the Schonbrunn Palace. More than 1700 beautifully-maintained rooms afforded the large Imperial family, and the whole royal entourage, much freedom of movement and the magnificent interior decor of the Palace is one of the most lavish of its time. The Palace Grounds contain the outstanding Neptun-Fountain and, at the highest point, the Gloriette, from which the entire palace grounds are visible as well as the charming Schonbrunn Zoo, the oldest animal enclosure in the world.