Today we went to Schloss Schonbrunn. Originally built in the middle ages it came into the Habsburg's possession in 1569 and in 1612, Emperor Matthias gave it its name. Turkish wars destroyed much of it, and in 1728 Emperor Charles VI had it rebuilt and given to his daughter Maria Theresa. She married Franz Josef, had 16 kids and married off most of them to achieve stronger political alliances - so she became known as the mother-in-law of Europe. In response to Napoleon's coronation, Franz Stephan proclaimed the hereditary empire of Austria, becoming it's first Emperor in 1806. Here the lineage gets confusing to me, but Franz Josef (the most famous emperor) was born here at Schonbrunn in 1830 and was enthroned on his 18th birthday (his uncle, Ferdinand, had epilepsy and was unable to rule). In 1867 he was responsible for establishing the Austro-Hungarian empire, ruling over it for 68 years. His wife, Elizabeth, or Sisi, was responsible for much of the decoration and furnishings of the castle. It is just so gorgeous. In the corner of each room was an ornately decorated ceramic stove, the coal fed in from areas tucked behind the walls so that soot and smoke would not disturb the rooms. Indoor baths and toilettes were installed as well. Family was important and there were several family rooms on display. Marie Antoinette was one of those 16 children who grew up here!

Our time has come to get on the train to Budapest. We are loving learning the history of the great cities we've been to and feel very privileged to visit their landmarks. The people of Vienna have been very nice, it's just too bad it's been so rainy and cold.