Imperial Crypt: Tombs of Habsburg Dynasty Members

Near the Habsburg Palace, there is a small church called Kapuzinergruft (Capuchin Monastery) and underneath it a cemetery called Imperial Crypt. But this is not an ordinary cemetery, the Imperial Crypt is the final resting place of the members of the House of Habsburg since 1633.

It is forbidden to take photos in the church, we briefly examine it and then go down the stairs to the lower floor. You can take photos in the rooms where the tombs are located. The Royal Tombs are always interesting because of the people who held the power of the period. Otto von Habsburg was the last to be added to the burial site in 2011, where the oldest members of the Habsburgs and the oldest members of Austria are buried.

Crypts are stone rooms under religious buildings such as churches. Such rooms often contain coffins, sarcophagi or religious artifacts, as in this case. The name comes from the term for secrecy, which we know as crypt. For centuries, rich and prestigious families were brought here with their decorations in sarcophagi.

Each of the sarcophagi you see when you enter the Crypt area belongs to members of the dynasty. You can see the tombs of the great Habsburg Dynasty members of the Austro Hungarian Empire such as Leopold, Karl, Queen Maria Theresia, Kaiser Ferdinand, Franz Joseph. Don’t expect a big place, it will take you 20 minutes at most.

The entrance fee to the Habsburg Imperial Crypt is 7,5€, free if you have a Vienna Pass. The church and the cemetery underneath it are located on a street called Neue Markt, which is lined with shops and stores. You can take the U1, U2, U3 and U4 metro lines, tram lines 1, 2, 62, D and bus lines 59A, 3A and get off at stops within walking distance. If you are going to the Albertina Museum, it is just a few blocks away.