Hermesvilla

Empress Elisabeth hated spending time in Vienna. To make the city more attractive, Emperor Franz Joseph built her a secluded “Palace of Dreams” in the Lainzer Tiergarten , presenting it as a gift to his wife in 1886. The building owes its name to a statue, "Hermes as Guardian," in its garden.

An exhibition on the history of the house shows how the royal couple lived: photos, plans, documents, original furniture, and, above all, many personal items convey a sense of home away from courtly representation.

Highlights include the empress's bedroom, furnished with a magnificent bed from the time of Maria Theresa and wall paintings based on designs by Hans Makart. Also on view: the magnificent gym, where the body-conscious Sisi undertook her daily exercises.

Press images can be used free of charge in the context of your current reporting on events, publications or events of the “Museums of the City of Vienna” with the full details of the image including copyright attribution. The image data provided may not be edited, used for longer periods or for other purposes. Subject to change without notice.