The legacy of the best-known empress of the Austro-Hungarian Empire lives on throughout Austria
Everyone loves Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria, also known as Sissi, and everyone who saw the films starring Romy Schneider felt a special attraction for this mythologized figure over and over again, both in Austria and Hungary. The image of a royal figure close to the people, with charming forms and a deep interest in resolving social injustices, an image that in more recent years we have been able to see in Grace Kelly (Princess of Monaco) or Diana of Wales (Princess of England), have as their indisputable point of reference the energetic and charming Sissi. Many of the tourists who visit Austria try to find a place where they can delve into the theme of such an important character, and the Austrians worship Sissi even 120 years after her assassination at the hands of an Italian anarchist.
We visit some of the key points related to Sissi, to fall a little more in love with her hypnotic personality. Fun and luxury are guaranteed on this fabulous tour.
Schloss Fuschl, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa (Salzburg)
Hotel Schloss Fuschl in Salzburg.
It seems logical that the only way to get into Sissi’s mentality is by staying in what was her childhood home. The palace that houses the Schloss Fuschl hotel, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, former hunting residence for the Dukes of Salzburg, rose to world fame after serving as the setting for the Sissi movie released in 1955. The first scenes of the film show a Sissi enjoying her early youth in the family home, in a dream location that could make them drool with envy even the most convinced monarchists. However, in Hollywood not everything is what it seems and you should already warn that the building that houses the hotel, despite having various objects of the empress exhibited in several windows or a small museum dedicated to Sissi, was never visited by our protagonist today. It simply served as a location to record a fragment of the film. But when we talk about a hotel of this category, true or false, it doesn’t matter how much we have to stretch the thread of truth to adapt it to our interests,
Sissi Museum (Vienna)
To visit with notebook and pen. Few museums can better express Elizabeth of Bavaria’s rebellion against court protocol, her obsession with elegance, or even some of her most passionate poetic texts. Sissi’s private life opens its doors to the visitor in Vienna, promoting a journey that walks from her carefree youth in Bavaria to her murder in Geneva. Numerous personal objects (dressing tables, watercolor cases, a travel kit, etc.) on permanent display allow us to recognize this most private side of our beloved princess. You can even see the coat she was wearing at the time of her murder.
Bad Ischl spa town
Kaiservilla Palace and Gardens in the Sisi-linked spa town of Bad Ischl.
Impossible to miss the exact place where Sissi met her future husband, the Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire Franz Joseph! The spa town of Bad Ischl is not only an essential stop on our Sissi tour, but it is also one of the most pleasant and pleasant locations in Austria. In fact , Bad Ischl was a wedding gift from Empress Sofia to her and Sissi’s son , and the couple enjoyed long spells in the warm climate that flows alongside the nearby River Traun. Although the imperial villa is still owned by the Habsburg-Lorraine family, some areas are open to the public for visits.
Schönbrunn Palace (Hietzing)
Schonbrunn Palace.
Known as the Viennese Versailles, this magnificent palace was the preferred residence of Sissi and her husband, when they spent long periods of summer enjoying its gardens. Although it’s open to visitors year-round, there really is no better time to pop in than during the spring months, when the magnificent rose bushes seem ready to burst.
Schonbrunn Palace inside.
The excellent composition of the gardens, as well as the collection of fountains in full operation, allow us to evoke what a pleasant walk would be like hanging on the arm of Sissi (or Francisco José, depending on the tastes of each one). In addition, the Schönbrunn Palace Orchestra organizes regular classical music concerts inside the building, whose tickets can be purchased on the official website of the palace. A walk through the gardens, a classical music concert, a slight scent of Sissi’s perfume that has stuck in the corners… few places are better than this, if we want to delve deeper into the refreshing ideas of the empress.
Lake Leman promenade (Geneva)
Lake Leman.
That the empress did not like large crowds sentenced her fate. Sissi insisted on walking to the city port without the protection of her entourage and was walking alone with her lady-in-waiting when the Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni attacked her with an industrial file. At first, the empress did not notice the blow and she continued her walk, only to pass out a few seconds later from loss of blood. Although visiting this walk may seem somewhat morbid, if the weather is good it can be a very pleasant walk and, in addition, certain thoughts of disbelief assail us when we understand that Sissi could be attacked in such a peaceful place.
