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palais schwarzenberg itself is a bit of a mystery for tourists. it's this huge, baroque palace, but it's not really open to the public for tours like schönbrunn or belvedere. it was a hotel for a while. you can still admire it from the outside, of course, and it looks impressive, with its grand facade and all.
but the real action is on schwarzenbergplatz, the big square right in front of it. here, you’ll find two really striking things that are super easy to visit: a monument and a fountain.
first, the soviet war memorial (or monument of soldiers). it's a huge, dramatic monument dedicated to the red army soldiers who died liberating vienna from the nazis. it has this big marble colonnade and a bronze statue of a soldier holding a soviet flag and a shield. it's really grand and a little imposing, and it's interesting to see this specific piece of history right there in the middle of a beautiful european city. it's definitely a powerful sight.
then, right in front of the memorial, is the hochstrahlbrunnen fountain. this fountain is amazing, especially at night. it was built to celebrate vienna's first alpine spring water pipeline, which is a pretty cool reason for a fountain. it shoots these huge jets of water way up into the air, and it's lit up with different colors after dark. the square itself is busy with trams and traffic, but these two landmarks are definitely worth a stop and a photo
