Government House

Victoria, BC; Canada
Parking: Free (parking lot on site)


Located close to Craigdarroch Castle, Government House can be visited immediately after a tour of the castle.  The house itself is Ceremonial Home of all British Columbians and contains the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.  It is not usually open to the public, but you can walk around the gardens at no charge.  Open everyday from dawn until dusk.

This was all I could get of the interior.

Victorian Rose Garden... no roses in March.

Terraces at the back of the House

Terraces at the back of the House

Hatley Castle

Victoria, BC; Canada

Parking: metered lot

Hatley Castle, the original home of Robert Dunsmuir, is part of Royal Roads University in Colwood, just 20 minutes west of Victoria.  There are four guided tours offered in the castle when school is not in session.  The Hatley Gardens, comprised of Italian Gardens, Japanese Gardens, and Walled Gardens, are open year round. 

Interior of Hatley Castle

Interior of Hatley Castle

Interior of Hatley Castle

Hatley Castle from the Italian Gardens

Hatley Castle from the Italian Gardens

Italian Gardens

Italian Gardens

Peacocks freely roam the gardens

Peahens freely roam the gardens

The Japanese Gardens

The Japanese Gardens

The Japanese Gardens

The Japanese Gardens

Mirabell Palace and Gardens

Salzburg, Austria

Schönbrunn Palace

Vienna, Austria
Recommended Visit Time Required: 2 hours minimum
Underground Stop: U4, Schonbrunn

Schonbrunn Palace

 

The 1,441-room Schönbrunn Palace was designed for the Habsburgs.  It was built between 1696 and 1712 at the request of Emperor Leopold I for his son, Joseph I.  Leopold envisioned a palace whose grandeur would surpass that of Versailles.  However, Austria's treasury, drained by the cost of wars, would not support the ambitious undertaking, and the original plans were never carried out.

The Gloriette

I arrived too late in the day to tour the palace, and I wished I had come sooner so I could thoroughly enjoy the gardens. I had never seen a garden so big- it was probably ten times, or more, the size of the palace.  

Map of the Gardens

The Obelisk Fountain

Roman Ruin