Palais Schwarzenberg

In 1697 Count Heinrich-Franz of Mansfeld hired the star-architect Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt to design himself a fancy summer palace outside the city walls of Vienna. In 1715, the property was sold to Prince Adam Franz Karl of Schwarzenberg and the palais was finished as a gem of Baroque representation. Throughout the centuries, the Palais Schwarzenberg remained in the hands of the Schwarzenberg family. During World War II the palais was badly damaged, but rebuilt after the end of the war. It then housed a 5* hotel and a restaurant until 2006. To date the plans for a complete redesign didn't work out, which means that the palais is still vacant. Some rooms however can be rented for special events. Recently the palais housed the headquarter of the Vienna Design Week.