SCHONBRUNN, Tour Of The Apartment Of Empress Elizabeth

The first of the rooms you’ll visit in the apartment of Empress Elizabeth, better known as Empress Sissi, is the Western Terrace Cabinet, featuring wall panels covered with a silk fabric painted with roses and bows. Below you will find the Stairs Cabinet, named after the spiral staircase that connected it with the Empress's private rooms on the ground floor: it was here that Sissi wrote her diaries, lyric poetry and letters, while in the nearby Dressing Room she took care of her appearance!

Now press pause, and press play again when you reach the nearby Imperial Couple’s Bedroom, with its walls covered in silk, in midnight blue tones.

Furnished for the imperial wedding, it was actually used by the newlyweds only at the beginning of their marriage, as the young and rebellious empress was frequently away traveling the world. Franz Joseph thus had no choice but to admire his beloved wife in the paintings hanging in the nearby Salon of Empress Elizabeth, where she was portrayed in her prime.

Before you leave this part of the castle, linger in the Marie Antoinette Room.

The room was used as a dining room, but Sissi often did not even sit at the table, because she used to purify her body by fasting. After admiring the fine porcelain and silverware at the table in the center, set for a banquet, head to the delightful Breakfast Room, decorated with paintings of floral bouquets and fluttering insects embroidered personally by Maria Theresa's mother.

Finally, don't miss the Children's Room, decorated with portraits of Maria Theresa's sixteen children: with the exception of Maria Christina, they were all married according to carefully calculated reasons of state!

An interesting fact: Sissi devoted several hours a day to exercise and to her appearance, taking special care of her beautiful, floor-length hair! Unsurprisingly, her hairdresser became her close confidante, and is even said to have acted as a stand-in for her on some occasions.