In the steps of Sisi…

Categories: Sightseeing, Cultural and History

Castle Possenhofen - Sisi’s home

[ source: Wikipedia]

Possenhofen is a tiny district of the municipality Pöcking (Pöcking vacation rentals | Pöcking travel guide) in Starnberg (Starnberg vacation rentals | Starnberg travel guide) and home to not even 400 citizens. Nevertheless, this picturesque place is a pilgrimage site for Sisi fans from all over the world. Elizabeth of Bavaria, the later Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, also known as Sisi, spent her childhood and youth here — the only happy time in her otherwise tragic life.

Sisi was the fourth of ten children of Duke Maximilian Joseph and his wife Princess Ludovika. Amid this large and joyful family she spent her untroubled and happy childhood at Castle Possenhofen (Possenhofen vacation rentals | Possenhofen travel guide) surrounded by stunning Bavarian countryside and close to Lake Starnberg, before she was married to Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria aged 16. The romanticized adaptation of her troubled life in the 1950s Sissi films established her as a widely admired icon and put Possenhofen on the map as a must—see for fans tracing Sisi’s footsteps. After Sisi’s descendants sold the castle to the state in 1940, it was used as a school, hospital and for other things, until it was sold again to a private owner in the 1980s, who renovated the run down building and turned it into luxurious apartment complex. Therefore, unfortunately it is not possible to have a tour through the castle, but strolling through the well—kept, grand park takes you back to the old days just the same.

To honor the town’s most popular offspring, there is even a museum dedicated to Sisi. Located in Possenhofen’s historic train station, there is the Empress Elizabeth Museum, where you can learn everything there is to know about this tragic and mysterious figure.

But Possenhofen is not only worth a visit if you are a Sisi fan. It is a quaint and peaceful place amidst one of the most beautiful areas in the whole of Germany. It is right by Lake Starnberg, Bavaria’s second largest lake, where you can swim in the summer or go on boat tours all year round. For further information, please check www.seenschifffahrt.de.

With cross—country ski runs just a short drive away in neighboring towns, such as Andechs (Andechs vacation rentals | Andechs travel guide), Tutzing and Hadorf, in winter Possenhofen is a preferred holiday destination for skiers.

Finally, Bavaria’s capital Munich (Munich vacation rentals | Munich travel guide) is only 20 miles away, so if you long for some big—city action after a couple of tranquil days in Possenhofen, you got it.

[ source: wikipedia.org ]

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About this Article

This travel guide has been written by Kathrin Wagner.

She grew up in a small town in Bavaria and then studied Media studies, Literature and History in Erlangen and Munich. As a student she already spent half a year in London and moved back there after graduation in 2006. She is still living in London, where she works in publishing.

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