Collection

Throughout her life, Sisi visited metropolises and founded health resorts. Forty tons of luggage, including riding horses, were carried on the axles of the luxurious court train. Her lavish entourage featured ladies-in-waiting, private secretaries, stewards, servants, cooks, hairdressers, masseuses, chambermaids – even riding instructors and stable boys. The princess went horse-riding all around Europe, from England and Ireland to Corfu - where she built the Achilleion. She frequently crisscrossed the Mediterranean on the imperial yacht.

During her travels, Sisi often stayed in luxury hotels, which Hanse now serves today, supplying the highest-quality bedding to locations around the world.

Sisi took pleasure in all forms of luxury. From donning dresses by Charles F. Worth, the Parisian inventor of haute couture, to revelling in a simple glass of milk, she appreciated both the opulence of high society and the modest comforts of everyday life. This was especially true of her travels. Near Cairo she climbed the pyramids of Giza. In Algiers she walked incognito through the bazaars.

A trip to England cost an equivalent of almost one and a half million euros. With destinations at her fingertips, Empress Elisabeth embraced a lifelong desire to travel and experience the world.

Sisi was universally admired by men and women alike for her beauty, grace, and mysterious aura. She was considered one of the most beautiful women of her time and attached great importance to maintaining her appearance. Her beauty routine took up a large part of her day and she was particularly proud of her hair. While servants worked preparing it, Sisi also learned languages, becoming fluent in French and English.

From Kaizer Franz Joseph, Elisabeth received a set of lavish diamond stars, expertly designed by the leading Viennese jewellers of the day. They would become her iconic accessory. Each star was intricately sized, unique, and ornately studded with pearls and diamonds. Sisi was immensely proud of them, and they are immortalised in the famous Winterhalter portrait, where she sports a multitude in her hair.

Elisabeth’s attention to her physical fitness and figure was in many ways ahead of her time, helping shape her status as a fashion icon. Through strict diets and tight corsets, she achieved an extremely narrow waist – aligned with the beauty standard of the time. However, in contrast to others, Elisabeth strictly rejected heavy make-up or perfume and emphasised natural beauty, merely spraying her hair with scented essences.

To stay fit, Sisi often went on long, fast-paced hikes, which her ladies-in-waiting could hardly keep up with. In addition, each of her residences had a fully equipped gym, featuring rings, horizontal bars, and dumbbells, where she would perform gymnastics and exercise. The equipment can still be viewed today in the rooms of the Vienna Hofburg.

Even at a young age, Elisabeth was known for being an excellent and courageous rider, mastering all disciplines of riding side-saddle. She regularly training in dressage at the Spanish Riding School or the Prater, and frequently went on cross-country rides across Hungary. In Gödöllő, she was often accompanied by Count Nikolaus Esterházy who was her favourite companion (master) on hunting trips.

In 1874 she took part in her first fox hunt on English soil: in typical Sisi-style, bringing with her an extensive retinue and several fine hunting horses. Captivated, over the next decade, she made several more trips, taking part in fox and stag hunts together with famous rider Bay Middleton. Elisabeth became one of the most famous huntswomen of her time and, her reputation endures to this day in parts of England, Hungary and Ireland. After finally retiring from hunting, most of her horses and stables were sold and closed. Never one to be slowed down, a then 44-year-old Sisi picked up fencing as a hobby, alongside her exercise and walking.

Over her life, Empress Elisabeth made numerous trips to famous European health resorts to preserve her vitality. Amongst other places, she stayed in Bad Gastein, Bad Kissingen and Bad Brückenau. Her first visit to Bad Kissingen was in 1862 and she returned many times until her last visit in 1898. During her stays, she often used the pseudonym “Countess von Hohenems” to protect her privacy and avoid royal protocols – again showcasing her rebellious streak.