Follow Empress Sissi to Lake Starnberg, Augsburg and Neuschwanstein Castle

Sissi, later Empress Elisabeth of Austria, was the daughter of Duke Maximilian in Bavaria and his wife Ludovica. She was born in Munich, where her family owned a city palace on Ludwigstrasse. However, Sissi spent much of her youth in the castles the family owned in the countryside. Possenhofen on Lake Starnberg or Unterwittelsbach Palace near Aichach, not far from Augsburg. Her father had little interest in the affairs of government of the Wittelsbach dynasty. He preferred to roam the inns of Bavaria with his zither and entertain the inn guests. He took his family with him to his country castles.

Augsburg plays a role in Sissi's life because her brother Duke Ludwig lives there as an officer in the Royal Bavarian Chevaulegers Regiment. He meets the Jewish actress Henriette Mendel. With her he has a child: Marie Louise. She is Sissi's favorite niece until she plays a role in one of the greatest tragedies in the empress's life. It is Marie Louise who introduces Sissi's son Rudolf to Mary Vetsera. She becomes his mistress. He commits suicide with her at Mayerling Castle in the Vienna Woods.

Sissi spent a happy childhood in the countryside. Her father preferred life in the villages and inns of Bavaria to city life. Therefore, the Wittelsbach castle Unterwittelsbach in Aichach was also one of the places where she lived during her childhood. Here, Sissi could let off steam in the castle's surroundings and spend a carefree childhood.

Even though Sissi was only connected to Neuschwanstein through her cousin King Ludwig II, a visit to this castle is a destination on our tour in Sissi's footsteps through Bavaria. For King Ludwig II, it was his fateful castle. For the enormous costs of his building project, which he paid out of his private fortune, dragged him into a debt trap. This ultimately led to the Bavarian government having him incapacitated in 1886. Only a few days later, Ludwig II drowned in Lake Starnberg.