Castle of Possenhofen

A walk in the city's surroundings The trail leading to Possenhofen Castle runs alongside a meadow in bloom and a lake. © Easyvoyage

At Possenhofen, the former castle where the Empress of Austria (Sissi) lived her young Bavarian years is located in the heart of the woods in the Starnberg lake region. With its turrets lined with crenels, its exquisite façades and green paintings, this castle displays an original architecture. Resold to a businessman by the state at the end of the last century, no less than 12 owners share its apartments. It is obvious that the authorities underestimated the tourist potential of this monument that is only visible to visitors from the outside. Meanwhile, the site offers a lovely walk from its small garden (where the statue of the empress stands) at the foot of the lake to the Imperial hotel at Feldafing. You need to walk along the banks of the lake (15 miles long) over a 300ft through narrow paths to get there. At the end of the compound, you can visit the stables of the past era with old and bleached walls and green tiles. The stables have been transformed into gym halls in remembrance of the sporty personality of the monarch. Do not miss out on the imperial suite on the upper floor of the hotel. Round off your tour at the historic station which links the hotel to the castle. It hosts the Antiquariat Heinemann museum, a private collection of several objects (including photos, post cards, authentic documents, etc) that belonged to the empress and her family.