The palace complex is right in the middle of town; we popped up out of the underground literally beside it, although it took some wandering for us to find that out. We purchased the Sisi tickets that allow viewing of the three exhibits within the Hofburg as well as two other offsite exhibits. After collecting our audio guides, we headed into the Silberkrammer, the Imperial Silver Collection, which actually encompasses all manner of silver, gold, glass and porcelain, mostly for the Emperor's table.
This extensive set of dishes was for the hunting lodge table, rustic you know. I could have spent ages in there looking at the details, but the place just went on and on.
There was a severe shortage of gold. Actually everything that looked like solid gold really wasn't, as that got melted down to fund wars. Gilded bronze and porcelain, however, were in great supply.
Each place setting was pretty extensive, since a typical meal consisted of 9-14 courses, with up to thirty different dishes total. Of course, each wine had its own glass, and each diner had their own wine and water flasks.
When you dine with the emperor, there must be a set of matched gold candelabra and sweetmeat dishes. Since the number of guests could be high, the table might be long, requiring quite a number.
The collection just went on and on, each set more gorgeous than the last. This set, a gift from Queen Victoria, was so fragile it can't be used -- it's for admiring only.
Next, we went to the Sisi Exhibition. Sisi was the nickname of Empress Elizabeth, wife to Emperor Frantz-Josef. No photos were allowed there, so I bought some post cards to photograph. The Empress was quite the beauty, with ankle length hair, washed in eggs and cognac (it took all day), and dressed to the tune of three hours per day.
This painting shows her lavish hair styles, including diamond star hair pins.
The Kaiseraparments, the Imperial Apartments, were quite amazing, especially Sisi's private rooms which included exercise equipment such as a high bar and rings in the doorway. She was dedicated to maintaining her figure. Unfortunately, she was also quite a melancholic figure and was assassinated while traveling. She became a beloved figure in her death, although not quite the perfect Empress in life.
Finally, we also visited the Royal Treasury, to see the crown jewels and other treasures. Again, it's just mind-knumbing to see the enormity of the collections and know this is just a small part of what is distributed around many sites.
We gave our poor feet a rest and had dinner at the hotel. After being hot all day (no air conditioning in packed rooms), it was lovely to sit outside in the cool breeze.
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