Possenhofen Travel Guide

Castle walls
[ 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.

A curious story about this is that at some point in the past the roads were shut down and Castle Possenhofen was actually moved, allowing the public free access to Lake Starnberg. Where it was once only the ducal family who was allowed to bathe in the water, since 1985 a total of 20,000 square meters in front of the castle allows everyone to sunbathe or swim.

Possenhofen Overview:

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 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.

Things to do in Possenhofen:

In addition to Possenhofen Castle, there is another place every admirer of Sisi should visit. To honor the town’s most popular offspring, Possenhofen has even dedicated a museum to her. Located in the 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.