Experience the Empress Elisabeth
at the Imperial Carriage Museum and the Imperial Treasury
Empress Elisabeth continues to captivate people to this day: the myth surrounding her, shaped by her extraordinary personality and timeless beauty, remains unbroken.
The myth of Empress Elisabeth remains as compelling as ever: her legendary beauty and unconventional personality continue to fascinate the world.
With the Empress Elisabeth Combo Ticket, you can discover the courtly world in which Sisi lived since her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I, in all its facets:
In the Treasury, you can admire the insignia of the Habsburgs’ political power, which Sisi was required to represent as the Emperor’s wife and mother of the heir to the throne. The collection ranges from the magnificent Baroque monstrance of the Order of the Starry Cross, of which Elisabeth was the patroness, to the Empress’s personal jewelry, and even the key used to seal her coffin in 1898 according to old Habsburg tradition.
In the Carriage Museum, visitors can experience Sisi both as empress and as a private individual: the magnificent carriages she used at her wedding and coronation, her extraordinary black court gown, and the famous “Mystery Dress” portray her as the empress of a global empire.
Her children’s whimsical carriages bear witness to Elisabeth’s role as a mother, while her original saddle and riding crop remind us that she was an outstanding sportswoman and considered the best female rider of her time.
At the end of the display are the elegant and practical travel landaulette that Elisabeth used in Geneva immediately before her assassination, and the impressive black hearse in which she was carried to her final resting place in Vienna.
The Sisi Trail in the Carriage Museum
The Life of Empress Elisabeth, from Her Wedding to Her Tragic Death
At the Imperial Carriage Museum, you can trace the life of Empress Elisabeth, from her wedding to her tragic death, through her carriages and unique original memorabilia. On display are her wedding carriage, her coronation coach, her children’s charming vehicles, and the last carriage she used shortly before her assassination in Geneva. she
At the end of the display stands the magnificent black hearse that bore her to her final resting place. These vehicles are complemented by portraits, paintings, and unique objects from Sisi’s personal collection: A true icon is the magnificent black dress with a meter-long train, from around 1885. It brings back the Empress’s striking appearance, with the famous “Viennese wasp waist” she pioneered. The enigmatic “Mystery Dress,” the empress’s personal saddle (she was considered the best horsewoman of her time), and the fan behind which she hid her face in her later years have also achieved cult status.
Traces of the Habsburgs in the Imperial Treasury
1 The crown of Rudolf II.
This crown is a masterpiece of European goldsmithing. Since the crown of the Holy Roman Empire (Room 11) was only used for coronations. Thus later rulers required a private crown for other public appearances. The crown of Emperor Rudolf II. (1552–1612) is the only one of these private crowns that survived. Under the reign of Emperor Francis II./I. (1768-1835) the crown was designated as the crown of the Austrian Empire.
2 Mantle of the Austrian Emperor
The mantle with train is made of red velvet and studded with a pattern of golden-threaded embroidery. It consists of double eagles holding a sword an imperial orb in their talons and bearing the Crown of Rudolf II on their heads. Given the fact that Austria did not have its fires emperor until 1804, it was necessary to create such vestments from scratch.
3 Mantle of the Coronation Vestments of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia
Following Napoleon’s defeat and abdication, Europe was reorganised at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. The northern Italian provinces that had fallen to Austria were combined into the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia. Therefore Emperor Franz Joseph also bore the title King of Lombardy and Venice.
4 Christening Set, donated by Maria Theresa
At court, christenings were not a family affair but a festive act of state to introduce the newborn child into public life. This Chistening Set was also used for the baptisms of the children of the imperial couple Franz Joseph and Elisabeth.
5 Hungarian Opal Jewellery
Princess Stéphanie of Belgium received this matched set of jewellery as a gift from the city of Budapest on the occasion of her marriage to Crown Prince Rudolph on 10 May 1881. The extremely colourful ensemble consists of a belt, necklace, ear-pendants, two bracelets, five hairpins and then bodice clasps.
6 Four pieces of jewellery from the possession of Empress Elisabeth of Austria
The last pieces of Empress Elisabeth's jewellery open to the public are on display in the Imperial Treasury. The four brooches bear witness to the splendour of the empress's public appearance.
7 Monstrance of the Order of the Starry Cross
According to tradition, the monstrance with the precious particle of the Holy Cross was recovered after a devastating fire in the Vienna Hofburg Palace. Miraculously the wood of the Holy Cross was undamaged. In gratitude, the Order of the Starry Cross was founded, the highest order of ladies in the House of Austria, which still exists today. The head and patroness was always the Empress.
8 Cabinet for the Keys to the Coffins of the Habsburgs
The key to Empress Elisabeth's coffin in the Capuchin Crypt is also kept in this cabinet. The black hearse, built for the funeral processions of reigning members, can be found in the Imperial Carriage Museum. It was used for the funerals of Crown Prince Rudolf (1889), Empress Elisabeth (1898) and Emperor Franz Joseph I (1916), among others.