If you feel like standing stand next to dozens of Habsburg personalities, including the likes of Empress Elisabeth and Napoleon’s wife, then the Kapuzinergruft (Imperial Crypt) should be on your Vienna itinerary.
- Last resting place of numerous Habsburg monarchs and others associated with the dynasty
- Coffins vary from the ornate to the ordinary
- Plenty of bronze skulls and similar for those of a Gothic bent
- Chambers are well-lit and airy
- See also:
- Free one-time entry with a Vienna Pass
- Stephansdom catacombs tour
- The Habsburgs
Inside the crypt
(The church and public crypt entrance)
Those who like to experience raw history should take the time to find the 17th-century Capuchin Monastery (Kapuzinerkloster) and church in the very center of Vienna.
The complex houses the Imperial Crypt, known locally as the Kaisergruft or Kapuzinergruft: the last resting place of dozens of Habsburg Emperors, Empresses, Archdukes, Archduchesses, and their spouses and offspring; an accumulation of corpses from one of the most famous monarchial dynasties in world history.
Inside the crypt, you stand within touching distance of Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico.
Or Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Franz Stephan, the Holy Roman Emperor.
Or Emperor Francis II/I, founder of the Austrian Empire.
Or Empress Elisabeth, the iconic Sisi.
…and many (many) more.
Be aware, though, that this is no virtual reality tourist attraction, but the actual family crypt of the imperial line: an underground graveyard, albeit one with a rich history attached.
(The intricate entrance gate)
The Kapuzinergruft is a place of strange contrasts. Prepare for disappointment if you expect a musty, dank, dark experience: the crypt contains a series of large, well-lit and airy chambers.
The bright, clean surroundings do little, however, to counter the starkness of the place, with its bare walls and row upon row of large ornate sarcophagi.
(If you want a more traditional crypt experience, try the Stephansdom cathedral catacombs, which includes a mass grave for plague victims.)
A sense of sadness certainly hangs over everything inside: death as the ultimate leveller.
Despite the wealth, fame, power (and expensive coffin), all that’s left is a body in a box to be stared at by visitors taking hurried snapshots before moving on to coffee and cake.
If you don’t linger, you’ll be finished in no more than 30 minutes. But take the time to look closely at the intricate decoration on some of the coffins.
Lead, pewter, bronze or copper materials dominate. They used silver and gold sparingly, not least because visitors would steal bits (humanity never ceases to disappoint.)
Crypt “highlights”
(A woodcut of part of the crypt from 1878; Alois Greil (Artist); Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. W 2650; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)
Emperor Karl VI (1685-1740) probably has the most impressive sarcophagus, only because of the quite wonderful crowned skulls and similar decorative motifs.
The most impressive section is the Maria-Theresien-Gruft, a domed chamber dominated by a huge, complex sarcophagus for the Empress Maria Theresa (1717-1780) and Emperor Franz Stephan (1708-1765). The same location houses many of her 16 children.
One of those children is the Empress’s eldest son, who became Emperor Joseph II (1741-1790). With its nondescript copper design, his coffin contrasts remarkably with that of his parents. But then Joseph II was famous for his rationalist approach and distaste for ceremony.
Another “must-see” is the Franz-Josephs-Gruft, the chamber that’s home to Emperor Franz Joseph I (1830-1916), Empress Elisabeth (1837-1898), and their son, Crown Prince Rudolph (1858-1889).
Elisabeth was assassinated by an anarchist in Switzerland, while Rudolph’s death saw the succession pass to Franz Joseph’s nephew, Franz Ferdinand (whose own assassination in Sarajevo sparked the first World War).
No excessive ornamentation graces the last resting place of Franz Joseph and his family, but you’ll almost certainly find flowers left by well-wishers.
Curiously, flowers were also left at another coffin on my visit: Marie Louise, second wife of Napoleon.
Tickets & visitor tips
At the time of writing, an adult ticket to the Kaisergruft cost €8.50, though you can, for example, enter once for free with a Vienna Pass (see a review).
As well as a ticket, you might want to buy an English guide and map, too. The crypt has no significant information displays inside (though it’s been a while since I visited), just the names of the dead inscribed next to their coffin or on a stone board on a wall.
(This is, after all, not a tourist attraction as such, but a burial place that allows visitors.)
The Capuchin church above the crypt hosts occasional concerts, so look out for opportunities.
The Kaiserquartett string ensemble, for example, often holds advent performances there. The same church also made an appearance in one of the more famous movies to be filmed in Vienna: The Third Man.
If the crypt experience leaves you in need of a sit down, the Neuer Markt square outside has a branch of Konditorei Oberlaa on it: one of my preferred destinations for coffee in the centre (sit upstairs in the new glassed wing).
Or relax on the steps of the Donnerbrunnen: an 18th-century fountain unexpectedly free of imperial insignia and religious motifs.
How to find the crypt
Wait for a moonless night. You’ll need wolfsbane and phoenix eggs to complete the opening spell.
Alternatively…
The Kapuzinergruft sits among the many historical sights that make up the very centre of Vienna. It’s within shouting (singing?) distance of the State Opera House and close to numerous public transport lines…
Subway: take the U1 and U3 to Stephansplatz or U1, U2 and U4 to Karlsplatz (look for the Oper exit)
Tram/bus: use the the 2A city centre bus and get off at Albertinaplatz
Address: Tegetthoffstraße 2, 1010 Vienna | Website