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Schloss Cobenzl
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Schloss Cobenzl
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It was originally covered in vineyards. For many years there was a monastery on the site and up to the dissolution of the order in the 16th century Jesuits lived and worked here.
Long after the Jesuits left, Count Johann Philipp von Cobenzl, a wealthy banker and diplomat, bought the site and builta summer house there. He was a great music lover, and numbered the young Mozart and many others among his guests. Mozart wrote to his father how spectacular the forest around the house was.
Later, Count Cobenzl built a palace on the site, turned the garden into a beautiful park full of monuments and grottos and hosted lavish parties attended by the rich and fammous.
In 1809 the French occupation of Vienna left the park and palace in ruins. Count Cobenzl began to restore them but died, sadly, in 1810.
Then began a chequered period in the history of Cobenzl. A succession of owners threw the park open to the public and built a public house offering food and drink to people who came to walk in the grounds.
There were numerous carnivals, celebrations, fireworks and attractions and Johan Strauss the Elder played there.
One of the most famous 19ch century owners was the German chemist Karl Ludwig von Reichenbach, whose experiments gained him the name of the magician of Cobenzl.
For many years now the palace has been operated by the successful gastronom Olaf Auer. The Viennese have a fond attachment to their flourishing restaurant.
Many famous people have visited Cobenzl, including John F, Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth II, Elton John and Marshall Tito and enjoyed the food and views.
 The Restaurant |
 The Cafe |