SALZKAMMERGUT
The Salzkammergut is a unique landscape which is characterized
by crystal-clear lakes, large woods, impressive mountains, alpine meadows
and soft foothills. This region owes its name to the salt extraction which dates back
to the iron-age and has always brought grand wealth to this region.
The region offers popular excursions - some suggestions for a day-trip:
- shipping on Lake Wolfgangsee and Lake Mondsee,
- visit of the historic town centre of St Wolfgang,
- with the railway 'Schafbergbahn' up to the Schafsberg,
- walks at the Postalm,
- visit to the ceramics museum at Gmunden,
- discover the World Heritage at Hallstatt,
- visit the Emperor Spa Bad Ischl,
- explore the underground grottoes and caves in the
Dachstein Mountains ...
Bad Ischl - The Imperial Town
Bad Ischl is a lovely small town, a beautiful spa. This spa
came to fame primarily during the years of Franz Josef’s reign.
Emperor Franz Josef and the Empress Elisabeth (Sissi) as well as Austrian's
and European's
aristocracy made pilgrimages to Bad Ischl to benefit from the healing
qualities of the salt water baths. Various artists, composers and
writers spend their summer months in this picturesque location.
Bad Ischl’s most important attractions:
The Imperial Villa
Bad Ischl’s most famous summer visitor, Emperor Franz Josef,
spent around sixty summers in a Biedermeier villa situated on enormous
grounds.
The Photographic Museum / The Marble Manor
The marble manor was once Empress Elisabeth’s teahouse and today
houses the photographic museum of the province of Upper Austria.
The Motor, Technology and Air Transport Museum
The museum contains historic motorbikes, cars, helicopters
and even planes.
The Franz Lehar Villa
The operetta maestro composed 24 of his 30 operettas here.
The Assembly Rooms, Bad Ischl
The elegant ballroom which once hosted lavish parties.
Zauner’s Pastry Shop
The most famous coffee house in Bad Ischl. The specialities are Zauner
croissants, Zauner fruitcake, Zauner wafers and Zauner Guglhupf
(ring cake).
Hallstatt
Hallstatt is a charming village with skilfully constructed houses
in gothic, renaissance and baroque style. Hallstatt owes its
existence to the rich salt deposit in the salt mountains.
St Wolfgang
is a climatic health resort at Lake Wolfgangsee. In the 13th, 14th
and 15th century St Wolfgang was a centre of Christian pilgrimage
to the memorials of St Wolfgang. In the church you find a beautiful
late Gothic winged altar (1471-1481) by M. Pacher and the most important
Gothic winged altar in Central Europe. The hotel 'Im Weissen Roessl' owes its fame to the operetta of the same
name by Benatzky (1930).
Mondsee
is a lovely village at Lake Mondsee with a Benedictine Abbey founded
748, a Gothic collegiate church, an impressive pseudo-basilica church,
a lake-dwelling museum, museum of local history and culture (Mondsee
Abbey Culture) and 'Mondseer Rauchhaus' open air museum.
Since 1929 performances of 'Mondseer Jedermann' ('Mondsee
Everyman')
morality play have been taking place in summer. Lake Mondsee is one
of the warmest bathing lakes of the Salzkammergut region with a good
water quality.
