Royal Figure
18 August 1830, Vienna - 21 November 1916, Vienna
Emperor of Austria for 68 years, the longest-reigning Habsburg. Franz Joseph summered at the Kaiservilla for over six decades, making the Salzkammergut his personal retreat and transforming Bad Ischl into a glittering summer capital of the Empire.
It was at Bad Ischl that he became engaged to Empress Elisabeth in August 1853. And it was at Bad Ischl that he signed the declaration of war against Serbia on 28 July 1914, the act that triggered the First World War. The Kaiservilla remains a major attraction in the Salzkammergut, a place where the personal and the political collided with world-changing consequences.
Locations
The summer residence of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth Sisi. The place Franz Joseph described as "heaven on earth." He signed the declaration of war against Serbia here on 28 July 1914. The villa is partly still owned by Habsburg descendants. The park and guided tours are open to visitors.
