Today we had another family outing planned. We wanted to visit the hunting lodge in Mayerling, where Crown Prince Rudolf once lost his life.

We all met at the train station and took the train and bus to the lodge.

It is picturesquely situated, surrounded by gentle hills and green meadows.

The atmosphere is so peaceful that one can hardly imagine the tragedy that once took place here.

On January 30, 1889, Crown Prince Rudolf, the son of Emperor Franz Joseph and the legendary Empress Elisabeth, and his lover, the very young Mary Vetsera, were found dead here.

Although everything pointed to suicide, this was vehemently denied by the imperial court at the time.

Mary Vetsera’s presence was also long kept secret. The scandal was simply too great for the monarchy at that time.

Numerous speculations followed, which led to unpleasant rumors for the crown.

Until this incident, the hunting lodge had been used primarily by Rudolf as a summer and hunting residence of the imperial family. After the tragic death of the heir to the throne, Franz Joseph had it converted into a monastery.

Today, you can visit the chapel, which is located on the site of the former bedroom where the couple was found.

Numerous exhibits offer insight into the lives of both the crown prince and Mary Vetsera.

Portraits of the deceased hang on the walls again and again, along with letters and newspaper articles from that time.

We looked at everything closely; even the children seemed reverent.

Afterward, we strolled through the beautiful castle park.

We then decided to walk to the nearby cemetery to visit the grave of Mary Vetsera. As a member of the imperial family, Rudolf was buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna.

We continued on foot in the direction of Heiligenkreuz. But I will write about that in the next chapter.