{"id":245,"date":"2015-08-20T12:07:12","date_gmt":"2015-08-20T10:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=245"},"modified":"2025-07-14T17:27:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T16:27:17","slug":"kapuzinergruft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/kapuzinergruft\/","title":{"rendered":"Kapuzinergruft Imperial Crypt"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><a href=\"#tickets\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/crypttickets2024.jpg\" alt=\"Emblem and writing\" class=\"wp-image-75040\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The last resting place of numerous Habsburg emperors and others associated with the dynasty is below a monastic church in Vienna&#8217;s centre: the Kapuzinergruft (Imperial Crypt).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Coffins from the ornate to the ordinary<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Plenty of bronze skulls for those of a Gothic bent<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chambers are well-lit and airy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Numerous historical figures buried within<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/concerts-opera-vienna-tickets-l206741\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_Capuch\" rel=\"sponsored\">Viennese concert experience<\/a>* in a historical venue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Free one-time entry with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/vienna-pass-review\/\">Vienna Pass<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/stephansdom-catacombs\/\">Stephansdom catacombs tour<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/michaelerkirche-crypt-tour\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"67513\">Michaelerkirche crypt tour<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/kapuzinerkirche-capuchin-church\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"75265\">Kapuzinerkirche<\/a> church<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/habsburgs\/\">The Habsburgs<\/a>: a simple introduction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Inside the crypt<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kapuzinergruft.jpg\" alt=\"The Kapuzinergruft and Capuchin church\" class=\"wp-image-54823\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kapuzinergruft.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kapuzinergruft-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The church and public crypt entrance)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those who like to experience raw history should take the time to find the 17th-century Capuchin Monastery (Kapuzinerkloster) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/kapuzinerkirche-capuchin-church\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"75265\">Capuchin church<\/a> in the very center of Vienna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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, their spouses and their offspring; an accumulation of corpses from one of the most famous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/habsburgs\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"12848\">ruling dynasties<\/a> in world history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Inside the crypt, you stand within touching distance of Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Franz Stephan, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/holy-roman-empire\/\">Holy Roman Emperor<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or Emperor Francis II\/I, founder of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/austrian-empire\/\">Austrian Empire<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/sisi\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"34621\">Empress Elisabeth<\/a>, the iconic Sisi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8230;and many (many) more.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/gruftcrypt1724.jpg\" alt=\"Neuer Markt in 1724\" class=\"wp-image-66245\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/gruftcrypt1724.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/gruftcrypt1724-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The church and crypt entrance pictured on the right in a 1724 volume published by Johann Andreas d. \u00c4. Pfeffel; engraving by Georg Daniel Heumann based on a drawing by Salomon Kleiner; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 31113; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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. Cool but not cold, making this one of your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/weather\/how-to-keep-cool\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"74122\">best options on hot summer days<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want a more traditional crypt experience, try the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/stephansdom-catacombs\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"5459\">Stephansdom cathedral catacombs<\/a>, which include a mass grave for plague victims. Or the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/michaelerkirche-crypt-tour\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"67513\">Michaelerkirche crypt tour<\/a> with its mummies and painted coffins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A sense of sadness certainly hangs over everything inside the Kapuzinergruft: death as the ultimate leveller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the wealth, fame, power (and expensive coffin), all that&#8217;s left is a body in a box to be stared at by visitors taking hurried snapshots before moving on to beer and sausages.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kapuzinergruft1.jpg\" alt=\"Entrance to the Kapuzinergruft\" class=\"wp-image-54824\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kapuzinergruft1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kapuzinergruft1-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The intricate entrance gate)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don&#8217;t linger, you can finish in no more than 30 minutes. But take the time to look closely at the intricate decoration on some of the coffins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Crypt &#8220;highlights&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Emperor Karl VI (1685-1740) probably has the most impressive sarcophagus, only because of the quite wonderful crowned skulls and similar decorative motifs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of those children is the Empress&#8217;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.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"362\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/kaisergruft.jpg\" alt=\"Engraving of the Kaisergruft\" class=\"wp-image-34506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/kaisergruft.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/kaisergruft-300x217.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(An 1878 woodcut of part of the crypt by Alois Greil; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. W 2650; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another &#8220;must-see&#8221; is the Franz-Josephs-Gruft, the chamber that&#8217;s home to the aforementioned Empress Elisabeth (1837-1898), her husband <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/franz-joseph\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"26307\">Emperor Franz Joseph I<\/a> (1830-1916), and their son Crown Prince Rudolph (1858-1889).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An anarchist assassinated Elisabeth in Switzerland, while Rudolph&#8217;s death saw the succession pass to Franz Joseph&#8217;s nephew, Franz Ferdinand (whose own assassination in Sarajevo sparked the first World War; see the car he was in at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/heeresgeschichtliches\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"13073\">Heeresgeschichtliches Museum<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No excessive ornamentation graces the last resting place of Franz Joseph and his family, but you&#8217;ll almost certainly find flowers left by well-wishers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Curiously, I found unexpected flowers left at another coffin on my visit: Marie Louise, second wife of Napoleon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tickets\">Tickets &amp; visitor tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the time of writing, an adult ticket to the Kaisergruft costs \u20ac13. Two alternative options are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Purchase a combination ticket that includes one of the highly-rated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/vienna-attractions-c60335\/tickets-for-capuchin-church-a-little-night-music-concert-p1091125\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_Capuch\" rel=\"sponsored\">evening<\/a>* or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/vienna-attractions-c60335\/tickets-for-capuchin-church-sound-of-christmas-concert-p1095066\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_Capuch\" rel=\"sponsored\">advent<\/a>* concerts given by the Kaiserquartett string ensemble in the historical Capuchin church above<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enter once for free with a Vienna Pass (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/vienna-pass-review\/\">see a review<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Inside, you might want to buy an English guide and map. The crypt has no significant information displays (though it&#8217;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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is, after all, not a tourist attraction as such, but a burial place that allows visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Incidentally, the aboveground exterior of the church\/crypt made an appearance in one of the more famous movies to be filmed in Vienna: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/songsfilms\/third-man-locations\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"31222\">The Third Man<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/oberlaaneuermarkt2024.jpg\" alt=\"Full view of the Oberlaaer Stadthaus\" class=\"wp-image-71725\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/oberlaaneuermarkt2024.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/oberlaaneuermarkt2024-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Nearby Konditorei Oberlaa makes a good place to shake off any lingering crypt-induced melancholy with coffee and cake)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the crypt experience leaves you in need of a sit down, the Neuer Markt square outside has a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/cafespubsbars\/oberlaa-neuer-markt\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"53975\">branch of Konditorei Oberlaa<\/a> on it: one of my preferred destinations for coffee in the centre because the service is exceptionally friendly. Sit upstairs in the glassed wing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alternatively, relax on the steps of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/donnerbrunnen\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"61495\">Donnerbrunnen<\/a>: an 18th-century fountain unexpectedly free of imperial insignia and religious motifs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to find the crypt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Wait for a moonless night. You&#8217;ll need wolfsbane and phoenix eggs to complete the opening spell. Alternatively&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Kapuzinergruft sits among the many historical sights that make up the very centre of Vienna. It&#8217;s within shouting (singing?) distance of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/opera\/staatsoper\/\">State Opera House<\/a> and close to numerous public transport lines&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Subway: take the U1 and U3 to Stephansplatz or U1, U2 and U4 to Karlsplatz (look for the Oper exit).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tram\/bus: use the the 2A city centre bus and get off at Albertinaplatz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Address: Tegetthoffstra\u00dfe 2, 1010 Vienna | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kapuzinergruft.com\/\">Website<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/0\/embed?mid=1asmHlbVpicbQLt1557vf6l4l0zQ\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The last resting place of numerous Habsburg emperors and others associated with the dynasty is below a monastic church in Vienna&#8217;s centre: the Kapuzinergruft (Imperial Crypt). 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 Capuchin [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":75039,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-245","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sights","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=245"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":84646,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245\/revisions\/84646"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}