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    Travel through Austria in Sisi's Footsteps

    The Habsburg monarchy is long gone. Yet, in Austria, something of the mythical aura of those days has remained. Especially when it comes to the revered person of Empress Elisabeth, who is lovingly called Sisi. Those who wish to know more about her spirited personality can tour Austria in her footsteps to discover where she lived, loved, and suffered.

    The Imperial Villa in Bad Ischl

    It is said to have been love at first sight when - after a long period of time - Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria set eyes again on his then only 15-year-old cousin Elisabeth in Bad Ischl. Sisi accepted the betrothal bouquet with great reluctance since her older sister was supposed to be the bride. The emperor, however, had chosen, and a year later, the wedding was celebrated in Vienna. Among the wedding presents: a villa in Bad Ischl. It was a rather modest building for the most famous imperial couple of the Habsburg monarchy, the furnishings in Biedermeier style unspectacular. For Sisi, however, the emperor's villa in the idyllic countryside was the perfect refuge. Far from the rigid protocol of the capital, she regularly came here for her summer retreat.

    Franz also enjoyed Bad Ischl and after Sisi’s assassination, he increasingly retreated to his “dear Ischl.” It was here that he signed the declaration of war against Serbia in 1914, which ultimately led to World War I. Today, the private rooms can be visited during the summer months. Even in the study, where Franz sat at his desk and went about his government business, everything is still in place the way it was back then. The basic shape of the villa has not changed either. From above, it looks like an E – for Elisabeth.

    Leopoldskron Palace, Salzburg

    After a tearful farewell in the summer of 1853, Sisi set off on her bridal journey to Salzburg, where the young Franz received her and escorted her to Vienna. She returned to Salzburg many times to accompany her husband to official political meetings. However, she preferred private visits to her great cousin, the Bavarian King Ludwig II, at Leopoldskron Palace. In 1853, the king held a lavish engagement party for Sisi and Franz in the swan-white rococo building with its majestic mountain backdrop.

    Empress and king were bound by a close friendship. Both felt constrained by the rigid court ceremonial, and both had a penchant for the eccentric, for art and culture. Schloss Leopoldskron near Salzburg's old town remained a haven for culturally minded people even after the collapse of the monarchy. It was there that, in 1920, Max Reinhardt, Hugo von Hofmannsthal and Richard Strauss came together to found the Salzburg Festival, traditionally held in the nearby Salzburg Fortress. Today, a guided tour of the castle tells of its history and the people who lived and worked there. If you want to spend the night at Schloss Leopoldskron like Sisi, rent one of the elegant suites of the luxury hotel that the palace and park have since been transformed into.

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    Laxenburg Palace in Lower Austria

    Sisi had imagined her honeymoon at Laxenburg Palace, the "imperial residence at the gates of Vienna,” somewhat differently. Franz, still inexperienced in government business, spent the days at his desk, and Sisi remained alone. Only extended walks through the palace park, with its temples, grottoes, old trees and meadows, water areas and Franzensburg Castle - a faithful replica of a knight's fortress built on a small island - gave her comfort. Designed by Peter Joseph Lenné, the park was already considered an impressive work of art back then. Today it is one of the most beautiful historic landscape gardens in Europe and, like Franzensburg Castle, it is open to visitors.

    Even if the first weeks of Sisi’s marriage were characterised by loneliness, she grew fond of the castle and its surroundings and returned many times. The empress gave birth to two children there, including Crown Prince Rudolf.

    Schönbrunn Palace

    Sisi is said to have been the most beautiful woman of her time. Her extravagant lifestyle included adventurous travel, an elaborate wardrobe and expensive beauty treatments. It was considered legendary in the Empire. At Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, the glamour of her dazzling personality can still be felt today: the finest, richly embroidered silk fabrics adorn the upholstered furniture, and the wallpaper glows in vibrant violet, the monarch's favourite colour. Sisi’s rooms are still exactly the way they were when she was alive, allowing you to imagine her sitting in her private chamber, applying cream to her face, excessively brushing her ankle-long hair. She wanted to go down in history as eternally young. From the age of 30 onwards, she hid her face behind fans and veils and no longer allowed anyone to photograph her. Enter the Staircase Cabinet, and you’ll discover yet another side of the empress’s personality. It served as a writing room for the monarch, who retreated here to read and reflect, write diaries and letters, and compose her numerous poems.

    Another highlight is the bedroom shared by the imperial couple. It was furnished for the wedding on April 24, 1845. Today, it is the symbol of an imperial marriage that, for Sisi, was primarily associated with duties. Sisi was expected to give birth to healthy male offspring as quickly as possible. This pressure weighed heavily on her during the first years of marriage, until the first son and heir to the throne, Rudolf, was finally born in 1858.

    Imperial Palace in Vienna

    Umbrellas and fans, curious beauty recipes, children’s shoes, and a private first-aid kit: at the Sisi Museum in the Imperial Palace in Vienna, it's the little things that reveal a lot about the empress's everyday life. Strolling through the rooms, past her mourning clothes, medicines, diaries, and the original death certificate, it quickly becomes clear that Empress Elisabeth, already a star during her lifetime, had little in common with the Sisi persona we know from musicals, films, and TV series. Here, she is not portrayed as a fun-loving, innocent, and eternally young princess. Rather, she is seen as a woman who has known strokes of fate such as the death of her children, who was plagued by depression and felt trapped by the constraints of the monarchy. A woman who met her tragic end on September 10, 1898, by a sharp file that an assassin rammed into her heart.

    In the Imperial Apartments right next to the Sisi Museum, everything feels as if the empress had just gone away on a trip. In her bedroom stands Sisi's rather modest folding iron bed. Whenever possible, she took it with her on her travels. Hairbrushes lie on Sisi's dressing table, ready to use. She is said to have spent three hours a day combing her magnificent hair. And the wall bars and gymnastic rings with which the empress exercised with iron discipline still adorn the walls. Above all, Sisi wanted to strengthen her back for the rigours of the equestrian sport, which she practised excessively - contrary to court etiquette. She was even considered the best rider of her time.

    "Lay Me at Your Majesty's Feet" is the name of a special guided tour of the Imperial Palace. In the role of the valet de chambre, who came closer to Sisi than almost anyone else and saw her in all situations of life, a knowledgeable museum guide leads guests through the Imperial Apartments.

    Innsbruck Imperial Hofburg Giant Hall
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    Imperial Palace in Innsbruck

    Built during the rule of Emperor Maximilian I, painted by Albrecht Dürer, and inhabited for centuries by the emperors of the Habsburg monarchy: the Imperial Palace, located in the historic centre of the Alpine city of Innsbruck, is one of the most important monuments commemorating the Austro-Hungarian Empire. During his long reign, Sisi’s husband, Emperor Franz Joseph, spent much time at the palace. Sisi, always pushing for freedom, preferred to stay away from courtly protocol and was only a guest there when she was in transit to Merano. Today, it is above all the original state rooms of Maria Theresia and the permanent exhibition on Emperor Maximilian I that bring the imperial heritage to life and tell of the power and wealth of past ruling generations.

    Drone view - Schloss Fuschl
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    Fuschl Castle

    The actress Romy Schneider gallops wildly through the idyllic mountain landscape and strolls around a fairy-tale castle as a young princess: In the iconic Sisi trilogy, director Ernst Marischka created an image of the young Elisabeth as a fun-loving, nature-loving princess who speaks Bavarian dialect and experiences a carefree childhood at Lake Starnberg in Germany. Marischka did not use the original castle in the Bavarian town of Possenhofen as a backdrop for his 1950s trilogy but chose Fuschl Castle in Austria’s Salzburg province. At the feet of the former hunting lodge, sparkling in bright blue lies Lake Fuschl. Surrounded by lovely meadows and valleys, forests and mountains, it was the ideal location for a romantic love story.

    The elegantly furnished rooms of the luxury hotel, which is now located within the castle walls, certainly exude imperial splendour. Romy Schneider, who rose to stardom through the movies slept at Fuschl Castle during filming. A museum located here with original film props provides insights into the filming with Romy Schneider, and Karlheinz Böhm in the role of the emperor.

    Imperial court suppliers and Sisi's favourite dishes

    Sisi pursued her own personal ideal of beauty with sports and strict diets. She wanted to be particularly slim, contrary to the fashion of the time. On some days, she is said to have eaten no more than two oranges and a portion of violet ice cream. The empress used to order this Austrian sorbet delicacy from the Demel confectioner to the court in Vienna, where violet ice cream can still be tasted today in a dignified ambience, made according to a traditional recipe. Café Sacher in the heart of Vienna's old town is another place to experience the famous Viennese coffeehouse culture that established itself during the imperial era, especially among intellectuals. Sisi herself was once a guest in this noble, traditional house, caused a stir there and ate a piece of the famous Sacher cake. An original bill still bears witness to the high visit. Anyone spending the summer holidays in Bad Ischl as Sisi did, should stop by the Café Zauner and order violet pastilles with chocolate icing. The former purveyor to the court makes Sisi's favourite treat today just as it did during the times of the Austrian Empire.

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