0 Intro

December 24, 1837 was a great day in Munich. It was on this Christmas Eve that Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie came into the world. She was born with a milk tooth. Which was considered lucky. However, good fortune would leave Elisabeth – known as Sisi – soon after her marriage to the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph. She had to cope with numerous personal tragedies. And even her death was dramatic: on September 10, 1898, Sisi was stabbed to death on the shore of Lake Geneva.

Interest in Sisi is riding high once again, more than 125 years after her tragic end: TV series, movies, books and reruns of the legendary Sissi trilogy starring Romy Schneider are all helping to keep the memory of Empress Elisabeth alive.

But who was Sisi really? The best way to find out is to visit Vienna. Countless Sisi-related sites from that time provide a reminder of her. Feeling curious? Then join me on a search for clues. I'll show you the ultimate Sisi hotspots in Vienna.

01 Schönbrunn Palace 

You're standing in front of one of Europe’s most magnificent palaces: Schönbrunn. It was expanded massively before Sisi’s time under Empress Maria Theresa. The palace has almost 1,500 rooms. And you can visit 45 of them. These include some of the rooms where Sisi lived, worked and even did gymnastics. For example, you can admire Elisabeth's bathroom and her salon here. In the Marie Antoinette room, she ate with her family – on the rare occasions that she was actually in Vienna. And it was in the Stairs Cabinet room that the Empress wrote letters, diaries and poems. While Sisi was not a gifted poet, her poems are helping refugees today. How? Sisi was very concerned about the plight of refugees. And she ordered that all the proceeds from sales of her poetic diary should go towards helping refugees after her death. Ultimately, the Austrian Academy of Sciences published the diary. To date, 30,000 euros have been donated to the UN refugee organization UNHCR.

But back to the palace. The interior is magnificent. The legendary palace of Versailles outside Paris provided the inspiration. The Habsburgs held court at Schönbrunn, received high-ranking guests here, and strolled through the countless rooms and formal gardens. You won’t want to miss out on the tour of the palace. You can also find out about the lives of Sisi and Franz digitally. With an elaborately staged virtual reality experience. 

Then, when you get back to reality, you should head out of the palace. Because its extensive grounds also have a lot to offer. The baroque formal gardens contain numerous fountains, hidden corners and beautiful flowerbeds. Here you can walk for hours and always discover something new. And the world’s oldest surviving zoo is perfectly integrated into the palace grounds. 

Want to eat like an empress? Then you should definitely walk up the hill to the Gloriette to crown your visit. It has the best views of the palace and parklands – as well as the rest of Vienna. The café used to be Emperor Franz Joseph’s breakfast room. Today you can enjoy the Sisi breakfast buffet there in an imperial ambience. Bon appétit!

02 Imperial Carriage Museum Vienna

Right next to Schönbrunn Palace, the Imperial Carriage Museum awaits your visit. As the name suggests, this museum mainly focuses on the magnificent carriages used by the ruling Habsburg family. And they had a lot of them. After all, their imperial majesties and imperial highnesses had a different vehicle for each occasion. Of particular interest to Sisi fans: the carriages used for her wedding in Vienna in 1854 and for her coronation as Queen of Hungary in Budapest in 1867. The lavish Imperial Carriage – the Viennese court’s most distinguished carriage – was chosen for the event in Hungary. It was used exclusively for coronations. 

And the carriage in which Sisi made her last journey to the Imperial Burial Vault is no less impressive: the black hearse. This magnificent and somewhat spooky carriage was exclusively reserved for the funerals of the highest ranking members of the House of Habsburg. In 1989 it was used one last time for the funeral of the last Austrian Empress, Zita. After that, it was formally retired. Eight horses were needed to pull the heavy carriage, which is over six meters long.

Talking of horses: they were Sis's great passion. But not when harnessed in front of carriages. The sporty empress was a passionate – and highly skilled – rider who could often be found out galloping through the fields like a lunatic. The Imperial Carriage Museum also displays various pieces of riding equipment such as Sisi's riding gloves, her magnificent red side saddle and even paintings of her horses. Sisi's famous black court dress with meters-long train is another highlight. It provides a striking indication of just how tall and skinny Sisi actually was. This particular piece would have shown off her world-famous wasp waist to perfection. It is said to be only 50 centimeters around the middle – all held in place thanks to a tightly-laced corset. Can you imagine wearing something like that every day? Me neither.

03 Hermes Villa

The longer Sisi lived in Vienna, the more she was drawn to the outside world. Often lasting months, her trips were an escape from the boring Viennese court – and her even more boring husband, Franz Joseph. But he wanted the restless Empress to be with him in Vienna. So he had a small palace built for his wife, where he hoped she would feel at home. Initially extremely enthusiastic, Sisi called the building the “Palace of Dreams". Today, it is known as the Hermes Villa – named after a statue of Hermes, the Greek messenger of the gods, in the garden. Franz Joseph spared no expense or effort: he employed the famous Ringstrasse architect Carl von Hasenauer to build it. For the interior, the Emperor hired some of the most famous artists of the day, including Gustav Klimt. In the bedroom there is a monumental 18th-century bed, and the murals feature imagery from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was the height of luxury. Only the best would do for Her Majesty. But her initial enthusiasm soon wore off and, quickly feeling restricted here too, Sisi set off on her travels once again. Much to the Emperor’s disappointment. 

On the second floor of the villa you will find an exhibition. Lots of photos, maps and a selection of Sisi and Franz Joseph’s private belongings give you an insight into how the pair lived, free from strict court ceremonial. There's also a restaurant with a great terrace at the Hermes Villa, where you can enjoy delicious food as well as the villa and the view of the park. 

The Hermes Villa is located on Vienna’s western outskirts, in Lainz Game Reserve. Home to numerous native animal species, this huge nature reserve is perfect for hiking and spotting animals. However, you need to remember that while Lainz Game Reserve is open to visitors free of charge all year round, the Hermes Villa is only open from mid-March until the end of October.

04 Vienna Museum of Technology

You’re probably wondering what Sisi has to do with technology... Well, nothing. At least not at first glance. But the Vienna Museum of Technology guards a special treasure: Empress Elisabeth’s Court Saloon Train carriage. And we’re not just talking about any old carriage here, but a really luxurious railway car that Sisi traveled around in. The carriage in question was built in 1873 specifically for Elisabeth. Before that, traveling by train was really quite uncomfortable. Well, for an Empress at least. Carriages were difficult to heat, and there were no toilets either. The newly-made wagon could be easily heated, and comprised a sleeping room with a bed, a small room with a washstand and a toilet. In 1891 the carriage was integrated into the newly built imperial saloon train and modernized. It was fitted with steel wheels and brakes and the wheelbase was increased. It also featured steam radiators and electric lighting. All of which made it a good way to travel. 

But how did the almost 10-meter-long, 18-ton carriage end up at the Museum of Technology of all places? The carriage was taken out of service immediately after Sisi's assassination as a mark of respect, before being given to the newly built museum a few years later. It proved to be a very wise decision. As the magnificent Court Saloon Train – consisting of eight carriages in all – disappeared without a trace after the First World War. While these days the railway car can only be seen from the outside, you can still get a good look inside through the glass windows. You can also see a replica of the carriage’s interior in the Sisi Museum in the Hofburg. 

05 Sisi Museum

As a Sisi fan, the Sisi Museum and the adjoining Imperial Apartments are an absolute must for you. That said, if you're expecting Sisi kitsch and historic romanticisation, you’re definitely going to be in the wrong place. Because the Sisi Museum dispels many of the myths surrounding the Empress. Here, you can find out about the real Sisi.

There are over 300 exhibits. Including parasols, fans, gloves, clothes, beauty formulas, and her milk glass along with travel case. There are also macabre exhibits to see: Sisi's first-aid kit (which includes the cocaine needle used to treat her menstrual cramps), as well as the Empress's original death certificate and her death mask. Also on display: a ten-pointed star with a Mabé pearl at its center. The star is part of Sisi's world-famous set of diamond stars. Elisabeth wore them either individually as hair accessories, or pinned together as a diadem. You might know these stars from Franz Xaver Winterhalter’s world-famous portrait of Sisi. On display at the Sisi Museum, it shows the 27-year-old Empress with diamond jewelry in her hair, wearing a dress covered with shimmering stars. This creation by a famous Parisian couturier made Elisabeth's beauty known on the international stage. The diamond stars are still produced to this day by Viennese jeweler A. E. Köchert. 

Sisi's numerous travels are another topic. A replica of the interior of her former sleeper carriage – the original car is on display at the Vienna Museum of Technology – has been recreated for the museum. Giving you the chance to feel like an Empress on the road.

Other important aspects include the Empress's death wish and her assassination. Throughout her life, Elisabeth flirted with death. This love-hate relationship is also the central theme of the musical "Elisabeth," which began its successful journey around the world in Vienna. You've possibly heard the song “I Belong to Me” (Ich Gehör Nur Mir) before.

But let's leave death behind us for now. Directly adjoining the museum, the Imperial Apartments are all about the life of Emperor Franz Joseph and Elisabeth in the Hofburg. The residence of the Habsburg family for over 600 years. In fact, it is one of the largest palace complexes in the world. The tour takes you from room to room where you have the unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the private and opulent life of the imperial couple. Her exercise room, and her lavatory and bathroom are particularly interesting. These were the spaces that Sisi used most often. It was here that she had her hair done. And where she worked out. The wall bars, the high bar and the rings in the door frame are all still in place. 

06 Imperial Treasuries

If you're into bling like I am, then I definitely recommend paying a visit to the Imperial Treasury at the Hofburg. Here, all that glitters really is gold. The highlight is the most important medieval crown jewels in the world: the regalia of the Holy Roman Empire, which was around from the Middle Ages until shortly after 1800. The centerpiece is the legendary gold imperial crown, which is decorated with numerous precious stones. 

You can also see a few examples of Empress Elisabeth’s jewelry. Well, just four brooches now, to be precise. But it goes without saying that Sisi had much more jewelry than that. An Empress had to shine, after all. The Habsburg crown jewels included tiaras, necklaces, bracelets, brooches, earrings, a diamond crown, and two precious gems named the “Frankfurtian” and the “Florentine”. The latter had more than 137 carats and was the fourth largest diamond in the world at the time. Stolen from the Imperial Treasuries in 1918 by order of the last emperor of Austria, the jewels were taken to Switzerland in a cloak-and-dagger operation and sold. There is no trace of them to this day. What a terrible loss.

But before you leave the Imperial Treasuries disappointed, I have another special exhibit for you – also with a Sisi connection: many Habsburg emperors and empresses are buried in the Imperial Burial Vault, beneath the Church of the Capuchin Friars in Vienna. And Sisi is too. The coffins there are locked with two keys. One of them remained with the Capuchin friars. While the other was held by the Lord Chamberlain and brought to the Imperial Treasuries. Where you can still see the magnificent wooden cabinet containing the duplicate keys to numerous Habsburg coffins. Including Empress Elisabeth’s. 

07 Church of the Augustinian Friars

April 24, 1854. 7pm. Quite an unusual time of day for a wedding, don't you think? The Church of the Augustinian Friars in Vienna – where the Habsburgs married – is filled to capacity. A group of 70 high-ranking church dignitaries and countless relatives gathered to witness the wedding of Emperor Franz Joseph and Elisabeth. Sisi is just 16 years old, the Emperor already 23. It must have been frightening for the young empress-to-be to walk down the aisle in such a setting. But by then she had passed the point of no return. 

Although Elisabeth and Franz Joseph genuinely liked each other, the marriage was ill-fated from the beginning. Want to know the thoughts on marriage that Sisi would later share? - "Marriage is a perverse institution. As a fifteen-year-old child, you're sold and you make an oath that you don't understand and then regret it for 30 years or more, and you can't get out of." Sisi started to spend more and more time aways from Franz Joseph. It’s possible she even broke his heart.

Which – unlike so many other Habsburg hearts – was not buried in the Church of the Augustinian Friars. Yes, you heard correctly: the hearts of the Habsburgs were given special treatment. In fact, upon death, the Habsburgs used to be divided into three parts. After they passed away, their heart and intestines were removed. And the bodies were buried in the Imperial Burial Vault. The intestines were taken to their final resting place in the Ducal Crypt beneath St. Stephen's Cathedral – which you can also visit. And the hearts ended up in the Church of the Augustinian Friars. In all, there are 54 urns containing the hearts of the Habsburgs in the Herzgruft, or “heart crypt”. The last heart to be laid to rest here was that of Sisi's father-in-law Franz Karl. The Herzgruft is open to visitors every Sunday directly after morning High Mass.

08 Volksgarten

Want to take a break during your Sisi tour of Vienna? Then I recommend a detour to the Volksgarten, which is right next to the Hofburg. A Greek Revival temple stands in its center, and every year countless roses come into flower, filling the air with their beautiful scent. This is what the Volksgarten is known for. But, what many may not be aware of: the Empress Elisabeth Monument stands in a picturesque corner of the gardens. My tip to help you find it: if you enter the park from the Burgtheater side, simply take a sharp left and keep going until you see the monument.

Building this picturesque little corner was quite a procedure: an architectural competition attracted almost 70 designs. The winning entry was submitted by Friedrich Ohmann. The monument is a formal secessionist garden arrangement with echoes of the Greek Revival, Renaissance and French styles. It took a full three years to complete. And what no one could have known at the time: finally unveiled in June 1907 in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph, it would be the last Habsburg monument built in Vienna. The monument shows Sisi as a private person, with a book and roses to her right, as well as one dog on each side of the base of the statue. The following is written on a wall behind the monument: "To her unforgettable Empress Elisabeth, in immutable love and loyalty, Austria's peoples erected this monument in 1907." Even then, Sisi was a star.

It really is worth seeking out this peaceful corner of the Volksgarten. A small water feature was also created in front of the two-and-a-half-meter-high statue of a seated Sisi. Many plants surround it. Most people aren’t even aware of the existence of this almost meditative spot in the Volksgarten. So you are in with a good chance of spending a few minutes alone with Sisi there.

09 Imperial Burial Vault

Sisi's assassination on September 10, 1898 sent out shockwaves worldwide, and led to a huge outpouring of sympathy. Befitting a monarch of her rank, she was buried amidst a great deal of pomp in the Imperial Burial Vault beneath the Church of the Capuchin Friars. You will find her coffin at the side of her husband Franz Joseph and her son Crown Prince Rudolf in the Franz Joseph Vault. The Emperor had this part of the crypt built specially for himself, his wife and his son. Meaning that in death, Franz Joseph was finally reunited with his beloved Sisi. Take a close look, because you are almost certain to find flowers or cards that fans of the legendary Empress continue to place in front of her coffin to this day.

Sisi and Franz Joseph are in the best of company in the Imperial Burial Vault. Over the course of 400 years or so, 150 Habsburgs have been laid to rest here, including 12 emperors and kings and 19 empresses and queens. As a result, Vienna’s Imperial Burial Vault is the world's most important burial site for a former ruling dynasty. The magnificent coffins reflect the different artistic periods down the centuries. 

Another tip: The temperature in the Imperial Burial Vault is a constant 20 degrees. So if you want to cool off in the summer and see spectacular sarcophaguses in the process, this really is the place for you. 

10 Vienna Furniture Museum

Do you know the Sissi movies starring Romy Schneider? If so, you simply have to stop off at the Vienna Furniture Museum. Here, you will have the chance to meet the real Sisi, as well as the Sissi from the legendary film trilogy. The precious furniture once owned by the former imperial family is stored and exhibited at the museum. And many of the items on show featured in the three world-famous 1950s Sissi films starring Romy Schneider and Karlheinz Böhm. Filming was not allowed at Schönbrunn Palace or the Hofburg. So the sets had to be recreated in a studio. Only the furniture was real. 

And you can see it on display at the Vienna Furniture Museum. There is even a multimedia experience. The original furniture from the days of Emperor Franz Joseph and Elisabeth is arranged just like it was in the movies. And right next to the arrangements are screens that show the corresponding scenes from the films. Photos, posters and pamphlets as well as information about the director Ernst Marischka and the actors are also on display.

Romy Schneider wasn't all that enthusiastic about the films. Even though they gave her her big break, she later said in an interview: "Sissi sticks to me like semolina." Lots of kitsch, impressive cinematography and the most popular actors and actresses of the time were the secret to the trilogy’s success. However, it sidesteps the tragedies in Sisi's life. The wholesome film world of the time allowed only little drama. Even so, the popularity of the movies would prove their creators right: with almost 25 million cinemagoers, the epic was one of the greatest German-language cinema successes of all time. To this day millions of people watch the films each year around Christmas time.

But back to the Vienna Furniture Museum, where you can see a lot more of the Habsburgs’ furniture. Including the magnificent cradle of Crown Prince Rudolf, as well as his deathbed from the Mayerling hunting lodge. And Sisi’s weighing scales. A replica of the legendary Winterhalter painting of Empress Elisabeth is also on display. You will find the original at the Imperial Apartments in the Hofburg. 

11 Josephinum

It is September 10, 1898. 1.30pm. Sisi and her lady-in-waiting hurry from her Geneva hotel to the paddle steamer that is waiting to take her to a health resort. The ladies are running very late. Just before they reach the boat, a man lunges at the Empress. She falls, but quickly gets back on her feet and gets aboard. She doesn't realize that she is critically injured, instead believing that the man merely punched her. But the assassin – Luigi Lucheni – has in fact rammed a metal file deep into Elisabeth's chest. On the upper deck of the steamer, the Empress collapses and asks: "What actually happened?”. She then faints and is quickly taken back to the hotel. But when her bodice is opened, a small brownish spot can clearly be seen on the left hand side of her chest. At 2.40pm, the legendary Empress of Austria dies. Murdered by an Italian anarchist. After her mother's death Sisi's daughter Marie Valerie wrote: "Now it has happened just as she always wished: quickly, painlessly without medical consultations, without long, anxious days of worry for her loved ones."

Why am I telling you this in front of the Josephinum? – Because you can see the murder weapon here. But you need to look very carefully. Because the stiletto-shaped triangular file with which Sisi was stabbed is actually quite small and unremarkable. 

Sisi’s autopsy revealed something else unusual on her body: a tattoo of an anchor on her shoulder. Which she had done at an infamous harbor bar at some point. The Emperor and the Viennese court were not supposed to find out about it. As it would have caused a major scandal. 

Obviously, there's much more to see at the Josephinum than just the murder weapon. Opened in 1785, the Josephinum is home to one of the world’s leading historic medical collections. The central component of which are its world-famous anatomical wax models.