Franz Josef’s summer residence, the Kaiservilla is an Italianate building that was bought by his mother, Princess Sophie, as an engagement present for her son and Princess Elisabeth of Bavaria. Elisabeth, who loathed the villa and her husband in equal measure, spent little time here, but the emperor came to love it and it became his permanent summer residence for more than 60 years. His mistress, Katharina Schratt, lived nearby in a house chosen for her by the empress. Tours of the villa give interesting insights into the life of the family here and the objects on display include a death mask of Empress Elisabeth made after she was killed by a knife-wielding madman at the age of 60. Franz Josef was a passionate hunter, and the stuffed corpse of the 2000th chamois he shot is also on display.
