Kaiservilla in Bad Ischl, the summer home of Franz Joseph and Sisi

What it is

The Kaiservilla in Bad Ischl was the summer home of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria and Elisabeth, Sisi. Archduchess Sophie, the emperor's mother and Sisi's aunt, bought it and gave it to the couple as a wedding present, as their own residence in the family's summer resort. Between 1855 and 1858 the architect Antonio Legrenzi extended it to give it its E-shaped plan; after his death Franz Rauch finished it.

Franz Joseph spent 82 summers here and celebrated 81 birthdays. From 1848 to 1914 the court moved to Ischl every summer, and from the mid-1850s the emperor governed the empire from his study in the villa. The guided tour goes through those rooms. Around it is the imperial park, and in it the Marmorschlössl, the little marble palace built for Sisi.

What the visit includes

• The villa: it can only be seen on a guided tour of about 45 minutes. Guided tours in Spanish are for pre-booked groups only; if you go independently, you get a free audioguide in Spanish, and there are text sheets in almost every language.
• The imperial park: you can stroll round it on your own.
• The Marmorschlössl: separate or combined ticket.

Opening hours

The park and villa follow a calendar by month:

• May to September: every day, from 9:30 to 17:00, with continuous tours from 9:45 to 16:45.
• April and October: every day, from 10:00 to 16:00.
• November 2026: closed, except on the 28th and 29th, from 10:00 to 16:00.
• December 2026: Advent weekends, from 10:00 to 16:00, and from 26 December to 6 January, daily from 10:00 to 16:00 (on 1 January, from 11:00).
• February and March: open only some days of the week, with reduced hours from 11:00 to 15:00. The 2027 calendar has not yet been published: check the website.

Prices 2026

Valid from 7 January 2026 to 6 January 2027.

Under-7s do not pay. Each additional child on the family ticket costs €8.20 with the villa and €4.10 for the park only. The concession is for over-60s, students and people with disabilities, with proof. With the Salzkammergut Erlebnis-Card, park and villa cost €21 for adults.

Getting there and parking

From Bad Ischl train station, walk a few minutes down the Vogelhuberstraße, pass the Royal hotel and you reach the entrance to the imperial park. By car, the Kaiservilla car park is as you arrive in Ischl, about a 3-minute walk from the villa; a little further on is the Rechensteg one. Opposite the park entrance there is a bus stop. From the entrance, a path climbs to the villa in about 3 minutes.

How long

An hour and a half: 45 minutes of guided tour, the wait for the next slot and a stroll in the park. With the Marmorschlössl, add another half hour.

Who it is for

It is a visit for anyone interested in Habsburg history and in Sisi. With small children it feels long, because the guided tour is continuous; under-7s get in free and the park gives them room to run.

To round off the day in the Salzkammergut, take the rack railway up the Schafberg, from St. Wolfgang, or go down to Hallstatt for the salt mine.