Updated April 18th, 2019 

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Sisi Museum

May’s museum of the month is the Sisi Museum in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. Finally I can wholeheartedly say that I recommend the museum of the month. The visit got off to a rocky start when the ticket agent tried to convince us not to visit the museum because we would not have enough time. With a ticket to the museum you are able to visit the Sisi Museum, the Imperial Apartments and the Silver Collection. While we didn’t have enough time to visit all three, you can visit the Silver Collection at a separate time. The ticket agent was so kind to ‘forget’ that detail!

After we convinced her that we indeed did want to visit we had an entertaining and insightful visit (and had enough time!). Audio guides were given to use throughout the museum and the apartments. Usually I find myself zoning out when listening to those, but here I was interested and focused.

While visiting the museum you learn about the life of Empress Elisabeth through the set pathway that then leads directly into the Imperial Apartments. Perhaps what made the audio guide so interesting was that Empress Elisabeth, more well known as Sisi, was such a fascinating person who didn’t actually want to live a royal life. The objects displayed add to the story of her unusual royal life.

Schönbrunn Palace

I included Schönbrunn Palace, a UNESCO world heritage site, on the same post, because it was the summer residence of the Imperial family and another site to learn more about Sisi and the other Hapsburgs of Austria. Along with Sisi we learned about Empress Maria Theresa, Francis I and their children. Among their children was Marie Antoinette, a former Queen of France. It’s intriguing how many well-known people from history fill school books like Marie Antoinette, when others such as Sisi are rarely mentioned or more easily forgotten. I never realized or at least remembered that Marie Antoinette had Austrian heritage.

There is an audio guide that provides information when walking through the palace rooms. The guide is very similar to the one at the Sisi Museum. Fortunately it is just as interesting too. There is only a small amount of repeat information. It did not deter me from being attentive and it really helped me remember the information and put it into context. Especially because there is information on other individuals in the Hapsburg family it was helpful to have the knowledge of Empress Sisi ahead of time.

Schönbrunn Palace Park & Grounds

Just like the Hellbrunn Palace and park in Salzburg, the vast grounds of Schönbrunn palace are free and open to all.

There is a huge amount of greenery to explore for free, but for a little something extra check out the the places listed below that require an additional admission.

Privy Garden

This garden offered us good side views of the palace and tunnels to go skipping through while we reminisced about our Sound of Music tour.

Orangery Garden

This garden was the least impressive to me, but it did have a wide variety of exotic plants.

Gloriette

This one isn’t a garden, but it offers a view of the palace from above. It requires a bit of an uphill walk outdoors and a tight staircase within the Gloriette to reach the viewing platform. It provides an overall viewpoint of the palace and the grounds.

Maze

Any child or child at heart would agree with me that this is the best garden. What’s more fun than entering a hedge maze, saying “race you to the lookout point” and taking off before the other person knows what happened? Well beating them to the end and watching from above as they struggle to find their way is slightly more fun!

Taking advantage of all the playful parts of the mazes was pretty fun too.

Cafés & Restaurants

Along with a couple of snack carts there are about ten different cafés and restaurants within the palace grounds. You can even catch an apfelstrudel show at the Café Restaurant Residenz & Court Bakery. I would recommend the two restaurants below both for their food and atmosphere.

Schönbrunner Stöckl

I knew I needed some cake later in the day so I tried ordering a salad here. But needing a little extra protein to make sure I could continue running through mazes, I asked for some chicken to be added to my salad. Although chicken was available in other salads, this was just not possible for mine. While I went with the salad anyway, soon enough the waiter returned to tell me they were out of the salad. I’m a very persistent woman, so I went with the chicken schnitzel but asked for a green salad on the side…..kind of what I wanted originally? With the waiter’s limited English and obvious confusion, my mother warned me I probably would not get what I requested.

Low and behold, I did…..and out of the many times I had schnitzel throughout the trip this was my very favorite. On top of that we had one of the nicest waiters of our trip, which helped to break the stereotype of rude Viennese waiters.

Landtmann’s Jausen Station

Landtmann’s is off the beaten track a bit more than other restaurants, but it’s slightly secluded location within the greenery contrasts well with the colorful, beachy feel of the restaurant.

My food at was much easier to order, but just as tasty. I had a Viennese speciality, the Sacher Torte. While I ordered it more because I like to try the traditional food everywhere I travel, I ended up really savoring every bite.

Visiting Information

How to Get There

Sisi Museum: Best to walk because it is within the center of Vienna.

Schönbrunn Palace: Use the underground U4 and get off at the stop named “Schönbrunn”. You need to buy a ticket from a machine at the station. Make sure to validate it by sticking it in a little box before getting inside the car. The boxes are usually located on the main floor before you go down an escalator to board.

Recommendations

Wear comfortable shoes when visiting Schönbrunn palace if you plan to walk around the grounds and the gardens. Much of the time you are walking on gravel so your shoes will get dirty.

Tickets

The regular ticket includes admission into the Sisi Museum, the Imperial Apartments and the Silver Collection. The museum and apartments need to be visited together, but the Silver Collection can be visited on a separate day. There is also the Sisi ticket which offers admission into all those places within the Hofburg Vienna as well as the Schönbrunn Palace & the Imperial Furniture collection. With this ticket you do not have access to all the paid gardens at Schönbrunn Palace. Then there are various ticket combinations to visit Schönbrunn Palace with or without the gardens included.

We bought the regular ticket for the Sisi Museum and the classic pass for Schönbrunn, which includes all the paid gardens as well as both tours within the palace. Three to four hours is the recommended time for the classic pass. We spent at least six or seven, including lunch and dessert. 

FYI

Toilets are available at the beginning of the Sisi Museum. As far as I know there were not any other toilets throughout the museum or apartments (the museum automatically leads into the apartments). At the end, the museum was closing so we were not allowed to go back to use the toilets at the beginning and instead were sent to the paid toilets nearby.

There are paid toilets immediately when entering Schönbrunn Palace grounds. If you walk across the wide open plaza you can use the toilets for free within the palace. There was usually a line, but you do not need to have a ticket to access the toilets. Within the maze garden there are free toilets but you need to have a ticket.

More about Austria

• A full Austria Itinerary
• Which Cities & Towns to Visit in Austria and What to Do
  • Gmunden (in the Salzburg Lakes District)
  • Salzburg: Sound of Music Bicycle Tour, Untersberg, Hellbrunn Palace, Salzburg Christmas Museum
  • Seefeld (in Tyrol near the Austrian Alps)
  • Vienna
• What and Where to Eat in Austria
  • Sweet Treats
  • Savory Foods

Check out my Museum of the Month page to see all my museum reviews!

 

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