Schönbrunn Palace

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Schönbrunn Palace, Schloß Schönbrunn, 1130 Vienna, Austria

Featured in The Living Daylights (1987)

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After Bond and Kara Milovy arrive in a very un-Bond-like transportation (the back of a lorry), they switch to something more fitting, a horse drawn carriage. As they elegantly travel down pleasant leafy streets, they drive pass the back of the palace on the way to Bond's hotel.

At the end of the film, the palace makes a reappearance as Kara is seen performing at the Schlosstheater, which is one of the buildings on the site of the palace. At the end of Kara's performance, M who was in the audience, introduces Kara to General Gogol, now working for the Foreign Ministry, who has arranged a travel visa so she can leave the country whenever she likes. After briefing welcoming Kamran Shah, Kara retires to her dressing room where Bond surprises her.

About

Built in 1548 and added to in 1643, Schönbrunn Palace is a glamorous baroque palace with large gardens, theatre and even the worlds first zoo opened in 1752. The palace was originally used by the monarchy right up until 1918, where it then transferred into ownership of the the newly created Austrian republic who turned the site into a museum.

The Schönbrunn Schlosstheater was opened in 1747 were it featured operas and many theatre performances, including works directed by Mozart. The theatre continued to be in demand up until the First World War, where it fell into disuse. Renovation was performed in 1929, where the University of Performing Arts would play from October to June. In 2010, the theatre was renovated once more.

The palace, gardens, and attractions welcome over 6 million visitors each year, making it Vienna's top attraction. In 1996 Schönbrunn Palace joined its place as a cultural marvel when it became a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, ensuring that future generations can enjoy its beauty.

Trivia

The Vienna Card » offers 9% discount on the audio tour of the palace, plus many more benefits.

Don't forget to visit the Schönbrunn zoo (Tiergarten Schönbrunn in German), which is one of only a few zoos worldwide to house giant pandas.

With The Living Daylights marking the last of the excellent John Barry soundtracks, the man himself makes a brief cameo appearance as the conductor at Kara's performance at the end of the film. §