HOFBURG Imperial Apartments

The entrance to the Hofburg from Michaelerplatz is a large arched pavilion topped by a dome, which serves as a junction between the different tour options within the wings of the palace.

I suggest starting from the entrance to the imperial apartments, a sequence of rooms that were lived in by Franz Joseph and his wife Elizabeth of Bavaria, better known and loved as Sissi. The imperial couple were the very last occupants of the Hofburg.

Before you visit these rooms, let me tell you something about them.

Filled with furniture, mementos, objects,and portraits, the rooms were arranged in the late 19th century, maintaining some earlier elements, such as the large ceramic stoves and the 18th-century frescoed landscapes in the last two rooms of Sissi's apartment.

As you may already know, the two rulers had very different temperaments.

Franz Joseph embodied tradition: he detested modern innovations, although in 1891 electric light replaced candles in the Hofburg, and he maintained military discipline and habits until the end of his long life, beginning with the daily use of a simple bed and a folding iron table.

After a very early rise, Franz Joseph had exactly an hour to wash, dress and have breakfast with a glass of milk and two unbuttered rolls, just as the Viennese bakers were baking fragrant croissants. The emperor would then invariably sit at his desk doing paperwork for fourteen hours. In the evening, he would wash in a simple tub, while Sissi would bathe in a bathtub with running water - the first one to be installed in the Hofburg!

Sissi was also an early riser, but she devoted hours to personal care, to her long hair and to physical exercise, as evidenced by the wall bars and gymnastic equipment in her apartment.

When you enter, you should ask for the official audio guide, which should be included with your ticket.

An interesting fact: One of the finest collections in the Hofburg consists of the everyday or ceremonial tableware that was used by the imperial family, totaling more than 7,000 pieces of silverware and tableware in silver, gold, bronze, and above all porcelain.