From 4.30 pm, part of Schönbrunn Palace Park lights up for a ticketed evening walk: Imperial Lights, a light trail through the gardens of the Habsburgs’ former summer residence. It stays open until 10 pm, long after the rest of the park has closed its gates at 5.30 pm.
This is the second year of Imperial Lights in Vienna. Below: what you’ll actually see, how to fit it into a Schönbrunn afternoon, the booking rules that catch visitors out, and how it compares with Vienna’s other light trails this winter.
What Imperial Lights is (and isn’t)
Imperial Lights is an outdoor walking route of 60 to 90 minutes through the area around the Kronprinzengarten (Crown Prince Garden) and the adjoining parts of the park. The organiser, Vienna-based MAGMAG Events, mixes Baroque-style light objects with contemporary light design made specifically for Schönbrunn, including pieces modelled on the imperial throne insignia.
New for 2026 is a field of more than 5,000 illuminated roses in the Meidlinger Senke, a nod to Schönbrunn’s 30 years as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The organiser bills its sound-to-light show, where the lights move in sync with music, as the largest in Vienna.
What it isn’t: a palace visit. You don’t go inside Schönbrunn, and there’s no audio guide or historical commentary along the route. Think of it as a winter walk with a strong visual theme rather than a cultural tour.
Open over Christmas and New Year
If you’re in Vienna over the holidays, this matters: Imperial Lights is closed only on 24 December. On Christmas Day, St Stephen’s Day (26 December), New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day it keeps its normal hours, 4.30 pm to 10 pm, with last entry at 8.30 pm.
The Christmas market in front of the palace keeps shorter hours over that stretch: 10 am to 4 pm on 24 December and 10 am to 7 pm from 25 December to 6 January. Before Christmas it’s open until 9 pm.
A Schönbrunn afternoon that ends in the light trail
The palace is open from 8.30 am to 5 pm in winter, and the market in the Ehrenhof (the main forecourt) is free to enter. That makes an easy half-day plan:
- 2 pm: palace tour with a timed ticket. The Palace Ticket covers the full Beletage (state floor) with an audio guide and takes about 75 minutes.
- 3.30 pm: the Christmas market while there’s still some daylight.
- 4.30 or 5 pm: your Imperial Lights time slot.
- Around 6.30 pm: back to the market for Punsch (hot spiced punch) and dinner, if you’re there before 24 December.
From 25 December, swap the order: the market closes at 7 pm, so go there first and book a later Imperial Lights slot.
Use the right gate
Imperial Lights is not part of the Christmas market and doesn’t start at the palace’s main entrance. The way in is the Meidlinger Tor on Meidlinger Fahrstraße, about 250 metres from Schönbrunn station on the U4. From the city centre, take the U4 from Karlsplatz or Schwedenplatz towards Hütteldorf. Trams 10 and 60 and bus 10A also stop nearby. Parking is limited and paid, so public transport is the easier option.
Tickets: the rules worth knowing before you book
Tickets are sold through Fever, on its website or app, with no booking fee. Your ticket lives in the app, so there’s nothing to print. Time slots run every half hour from 4.30 pm to 8.30 pm.
- Prices on Fever (checked 10 November 2026): €26 for adults (15+), €16 for children aged 6–14, and €14 per person on the family ticket (2 adults + 3 children). Schönbrunn’s own site quotes “from €24” and “from €13”, so expect prices to vary by date.
- No late entry. If you miss your slot, you can’t walk in later on the same ticket.
- No refunds, under any circumstances. You can change the date or time up to 48 hours in advance.
- Transfers are free. If your plans change, you can pass the ticket to someone else in the app.
There is an evening box office at the gate, but slots can sell out. On a short city break, book ahead. If your schedule is loose, book the day before once you know the weather; with no refunds, that’s the safer bet.
When is it quietest?
The organizer doesn’t publish visitor numbers. We’d expect weekday evenings to be calmer than Fridays and weekends, and the days between Christmas and 6 January to be busy, as Austrian schools are on holiday. The first slot at 4.30 pm has a practical upside: you’re done by about 6 pm with the evening still free.
What to wear for a Vienna winter evening outdoors
The whole event is outdoors, and the paths in the palace park are mostly gravel, which gets harder going after heavy rain. Wear warm, closed shoes, a proper winter coat, a hat and gloves. There’s no cloakroom, and there are only a few places to sit, so don’t bring more than you want to carry.
Children, wheelchairs, and dogs
All ages are welcome, and the route works with strollers and buggies. The organiser describes it as wheelchair accessible, with the gravel surface as the main caveat. There are no discounted tickets for carers. Strobe lighting and fast colour changes may be used, and the organiser doesn’t recommend the event for visually impaired visitors, since it’s almost entirely visual.
Dogs aren’t allowed; assistance dogs are.
Food, drink and toilets
Along the route you can buy small snacks, Punsch, Glühwein (mulled wine) and soft drinks. There are no gluten-free or vegan options, so if that applies to you, eat at the market or in town. Toilets are available on site.
[FOTO: a Baroque-style light installation or the imperial insignia pieces along the path | alt: Baroque-style light installation at Imperial Lights Schönbrunn, Vienna | caption: Light objects modelled on the imperial era | Credit: © Vicky Waba / MAGMAG Events – Imperial Lights]
Imperial Lights, Klanglicht, or Illumina?
Vienna has more than one light trail this winter. The short version:
- Imperial Lights (Schönbrunn Palace Park): imperial theme, inside the city, 60–90 minutes. Until 6 January 2027.
- Klanglicht im Park (Schwarzenberggarten, next to the Belvedere): the first Vienna edition of Graz’s light and sound art festival, with contemporary installations, including a seven-metre illuminated moon by British artist Luke Jerram. Until 10 January 2027. See our Klanglicht guide.
- Illumina (Schlosspark Laxenburg, south of Vienna): a route of about 3 km that takes 1.5 to 2.5 hours, from 13 November 2026 to 10 January 2027, last entry 7.30 pm. A shuttle bus runs from Vienna Hauptbahnhof on Fridays to Sundays, and leashed dogs are allowed.
On a short trip without a car, Imperial Lights is the easiest to fit in, especially combined with a palace visit. Pick Klanglicht if you want art rather than a Christmas atmosphere. Illumina is a full evening out.
Imperial Lights: practical information
- Dates: 6 November 2026 – 6 January 2027, closed 24 December
- Hours: daily 4.30–10 pm, last entry 8.30 pm; time slots every 30 minutes
- Prices (Fever, 10 Nov 2026): adults (15+) €26, children 6–14 €16, family ticket (2+3) €14 per person; Schönbrunn quotes from €24 / from €13; no booking fee
- Entrance: Meidlinger Tor, Meidlinger Fahrstraße, 1130 Vienna
- Public transport: U4 to Schönbrunn (250 m walk); trams 10 and 60, bus 10A
- Duration: 60–90 minutes
- Good to know: fully outdoors, gravel paths, strollers and wheelchairs possible, no dogs except assistance dogs, no cloakroom
- Website: lichtergarten.at/imperial-lights
Planning more of your December? Our guide to Vienna’s Christmas markets covers dates and hours for every major market.
Imperial Lights FAQ
How long does Imperial Lights take?
Plan on 60 to 90 minutes for the route itself. Add travel time from the city centre and a stop for a drink, and it’s an evening of about two and a half hours.
Do I need to book Imperial Lights tickets in advance?
Not strictly, as there is an evening box office, but popular time slots can sell out. Booking ahead on Fever is safer. Keep in mind there are no refunds and no late entry, though you can change your date up to 48 hours before.
Is Imperial Lights open on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day?
Yes. It is closed only on 24 December. On 25 and 26 December, 31 December and 1 January it is open from 4.30 pm to 10 pm, with last entry at 8.30 pm.
Is Imperial Lights good for kids?
Yes, all ages are welcome and the gravel paths work with strollers. Children aged 6 to 14 pay a reduced price, and a family ticket covers 2 adults and 3 children. Be aware that strobe effects may be used.
Can I combine Imperial Lights with the Schönbrunn Christmas market?
Yes, but they are separate events. The market in the palace forecourt is free; Imperial Lights needs a timed ticket and has its own entrance at the Meidlinger Tor. Before Christmas the market is open until 9 pm, so you can go afterwards. From 25 December it closes at 7 pm, so go to the market first.
Where is the entrance to Imperial Lights?
At the Meidlinger Tor on Meidlinger Fahrstraße, about 250 metres from Schönbrunn station on the U4. It is not the palace’s main entrance.
Photos: © Vicky Waba, courtesy of MAGMAG Events / Imperial Lights.