Bad Ischl (Austrian German ) is a

spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath in 1668. H ...

in Austria. It lies in the southern part of

Upper Austria Upper Austria (german: Oberösterreich ; bar, Obaöstareich) is one of the nine states or of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, a ...

, at the

Traun River Traun () is a river in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. Its source is in the Totes Gebirge mountain range in Styria. It flows through the Salzkammergut area and the lakes Hallstätter See and Traunsee. The Traun is a right tributary of the D ...

in the centre of the

Salzkammergut The Salzkammergut (; ; bar, Soizkaumaguad, label=Central Austro-Bavarian) is a resort area in Austria, stretching from the city of Salzburg eastwards along the Alpine Foreland and the Northern Limestone Alps to the peaks of the Dachstein Mounta ...

region. The town consists of the Katastralgemeinden ''Ahorn'', ''Bad Ischl'', ''Haiden'', ''Jainzen'', ''Kaltenbach'', ''Lauffen'', ''Lindau'', ''Pfandl'', ''Perneck'', ''Reiterndorf'' and ''Rettenbach''. It is connected to the village of

Strobl Strobl (or Strobl am Wolfgangsee) is a municipality of the Salzburg-Umgebung District (''Flachgau''), in the northeastern portion of the Austrian state of Salzburg, right on the border with Upper Austria. It comprises the Katastralgemeinden of Aig ...

by the river Ischl, which drains from the

Wolfgangsee Lake Wolfgang (german: Wolfgangsee) is a lake in Austria that lies mostly within the state of Salzburg and is one of the best known lakes in the Salzkammergut resort region. The municipalities on its shore are Strobl, St. Gilgen with the villages ...

, and to the

Traunsee Traunsee () is a lake in the Salzkammergut, Upper Austria, Austria. Its surface is approximately 24.5 km2 and its maximum depth of 191 metres makes it the deepest and by volume largest lake located entirely within Austrian territory; only Lake ...

, into which the stream empties. It is home to the

Kaiservilla The Kaiservilla in Bad Ischl, Upper Austria, was the summer residence of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as Sisi.Parsons 2000, pp. 271–72. The mansion is currently the residence of their great-grandson Archduke Ma ...

, summer residence of

Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

monarchs

Emperor Franz Joseph I Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...

and

Empress Elisabeth Elizabeth Petrovna (russian: Елизаве́та (Елисаве́та) Петро́вна) (), also known as Yelisaveta or Elizaveta, reigned as Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular Russian ...

. In 2024, Bad Ischl will be one of the European Capitals of Culture – the third city in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

after

Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...

(2003) and

Linz Linz ( , ; cs, Linec) is the capital of Upper Austria and third-largest city in Austria. In the north of the country, it is on the Danube south of the Czech border. In 2018, the population was 204,846. In 2009, it was a European Capital of ...

(2009).

History

Bad Ischl was a settlement area since the

Hallstatt culture The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Western Europe, Western and Central European Archaeological culture, culture of Late Bronze Age Europe, Bronze Age (Hallstatt A, Hallstatt B) from the 12th to 8th centuries BC and Early Iron Age Europe ...

, first mentioned in a 1262 deed as ''Iselen''. In 1419 Archduke

Albert V of Austria Albert the Magnanimous KG, elected King of the Romans as Albert II (10 August 139727 October 1439) was king of the Holy Roman Empire and a member of the House of Habsburg. By inheritance he became Albert V, Duke of Austria. Through his wife ('' ...

established the local seat of the Salt Chamber (''Salzkammer'') at ''Wildenstein'' Castle, and Ischl was granted the privileges of a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

in 1466 by Emperor Frederick III. A first

salt mine Salt mining extracts natural salt deposits from underground. The mined salt is usually in the form of halite (commonly known as rock salt), and extracted from evaporite formations. History Before the advent of the modern internal combustio ...

was opened in 1563, a

salt evaporation pond A salt evaporation pond is a shallow artificial salt pan designed to extract salts from sea water or other brines. The Salt pans are shallow and large of size because it will be easier for sunlight to travel and reach the sea water. Natural sal ...

(''Saline'') followed in 1571. When in the early 19th century

brine Brine is a high-concentration solution of salt (NaCl) in water (H2O). In diverse contexts, ''brine'' may refer to the salt solutions ranging from about 3.5% (a typical concentration of seawater, on the lower end of that of solutions used for br ...

came into use for medical purposes, Ischl soon became a fashionable spa resort with notable guests like

Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar, Prince of Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein ; german: Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar Fürst von Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein (15 May 1773 – 11 June 1859), known as Klemens von Metternich or Prince Metternic ...

and

Archduke Franz Karl of Austria Archduke Franz Karl Joseph of Austria (17 December 1802 – 8 March 1878) was a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. He was the father of two emperors: Franz Joseph I of Austria and Maximilian I of Mexico. Through his third son Karl Lu ...

. The ''Hotel Post'' opened in 1828 was the first one in the whole Salzkammergut area. In 1849 Franz Karl's son, Emperor

Franz Joseph I of Austria Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the Grand title of the Emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg m ...

chose the town for his summer residence. On 19 August 1853 the engagement between Franz Joseph and

Elisabeth of Bavaria Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria (24 December 1837 – 10 September 1898) was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary from her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I on 24 April 1854 until her assassination in 1898. Elisabeth was ...

(''Sisi'') took place at the ''Seeauerhaus'', Esplanade No. 10, which since 1989 has been the location of the ''Museum der Stadt Bad Ischl''. In 1854, the Emperor's mother, Archduchess Sophie, gave him the ''

'' (Imperial Villa) as a wedding present. The villa became the imperial family's summer residence; Franz Joseph described it as "Heaven on Earth". He also granted a nearby mansion to mistress

Katharina Schratt Katharina Schratt (11 September 1853 – 17 April 1940) was an Austrian actress who became "the uncrowned Empress of Austria" as a ''confidante'' of Emperor Franz Joseph. Life Katharina Schratt was born in Baden bei Wien, the only daughter of st ...

, that could be easily reached via a hidden footpath. In the ''

'' on 28 July 1914 Franz Joseph signed the declaration of war against the

Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Princi ...

, signalling the start of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He left Bad Ischl on the following day and never returned. The villa is still owned by the

Habsburg-Lorraine The House of Habsburg-Lorraine (german: Haus Habsburg-Lothringen) originated from the marriage in 1736 of Francis III, Duke of Lorraine and Bar, and Maria Theresa of Austria, later successively Queen of Bohemia, Queen of Hungary, Queen of Cr ...

family, although the grounds and parts of the residence are now open to the public. In the aftermath of the defeat of Germany in World War II, Bad Ischl was the location of a displaced persons (DP) camp for survivors of the Holocaust and Nazi concentration camps in Eastern Europe. The resident displaced persons were primarily Jews from Poland and other neighboring countries. They were provided with lodging, food, medical care and administrative assistance until they were able to make other, more permanent arrangements. Many left for the United States, Israel and Canada. The Bad Ischl DP camp remained active from 1945 through 1952.

Population

Approximately 15% of the city's population was foreign born in 2019.

Sights

Kongress und Theaterhaus Bad Ischl DSC 3295w

Besides the ''

'', the city offers several health spas and tourist attractions, like the historic ''Kongresshaus'' opened in 1875, the new ''Kurhaus'' built by

Clemens Holzmeister Clemens Holzmeister (27 March 1886 – 12 June 1983) was a prominent Austrian architect and stage designer of the early twentieth century. The Austrian Academy of Fine Arts listed his life's work as containing 673 projects. He was the father of ...

in 1932, as well as the Lehár Villa, the former residence of

Franz Lehár Franz Lehár ( ; hu, Lehár Ferenc ; 30 April 1870 – 24 October 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is ''The Merry Widow'' (''Die lustige Witwe''). Life ...

, that he acquired in 1912 and today serves as a museum. The

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-da ...

parish church was first mentioned in a 1344 deed. Bad Ischl is also known for the ''Konditorei Zauner'' pastry shop, former

k.u.k. The phrase Imperial and Royal (German: ''kaiserlich und königlich'', ), typically abbreviated as ''k. u. k.'', ''k. und k.'', ''k. & k.'' in German (the "und" is always spoken unabbreviated), ''cs. és k. (császári és királyi)'' in Hungari ...

purveyor established in 1832, and the small ''Lehártheater'' built in 1827. A

gondola lift A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supp ...

runs from the town up to the ''Katrin'' alpine pasture at 1415 m (4643 ft), which offers a panoramic view of the Salzkammergut mountains. The ruins of ''Wildenstein'' Castle, which burnt down in 1715, are nearby. The Bad Ischl Cemetery is listed by the State of Upper Austria as a protected historical site. Amongst those buried there are the composers Franz Lehár, Rudi Gfaller, and Oscar Straus. s.n. (2019)
"Friedhof Bad Ischl"
''Friedhofsführer''. Ischler Heimatverein. Retrieved 22 July 2019 (in German). State of Upper Austria (21 June 2016)
''Unbewegliche und archäologische Denkmale unter Denkmalschutz''
pp. 16–17. Retrieved 22 July 2019 (in German).

Notable people

* Leopold Hasner von Artha (1818 in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

- 1891 in Bad Ischl), politician *

Helmut Berger Helmut Berger (; born Helmut Steinberger; 29 May 1944) is an Austrian actor, known for his portrayal of narcissistic and sexually-ambiguous characters. He was one of the stars of the European cinema in the late 1960s and 1970s, and is regarded a ...

, (born 1944 in Bad Ischl), actor of narcissistic and ambiguous characters. *

Karl Eglseer __NOTOC__ Karl Eglseer (5 July 1890 – 23 June 1944) was a general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the XVIII Corps. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Eglseer was killed in an air crash in Austria on 2 ...

(1890 in Bad Ischl – 1944) a general in the Wehrmacht *

Leopold Engleitner Leopold Engleitner (23 July 1905 – 21 April 2013) was an Austrian conscientious objector, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and a concentration camp survivor who spoke publicly and with students about his experiences. He was the subject of the ...

, (1905 in Aigen - 2013),

conscientious objector A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to object ...

, grew up in Bad Ischl. * Rudi Gfaller (1882 in Vienna – 1972 in Bad Ischl), an operetta composer and singer *

Jörg Haider Jörg Haider (; 26 January 1950 – 11 October 2008) was an Austrian politician. He was Governor of Carinthia on two occasions, the long-time leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) and later Chairman of the Alliance for the Future of ...

(1950–2008), politician, attended school in Bad Ischl. *

(1870 in

Komárno Komárno, ( hu, Komárom, german: Komorn, sr, Коморан, translit=Komoran), colloquially also called ''Révkomárom, Öregkomárom, Észak-Komárom'' in Hungarian language, Hungarian; is a town in Slovakia at the confluence of the Danube an ...

1870 - 1948 in Bad Ischl),

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

composer *

Roger Lewis Roger Lewis (born 26 February 1960) is a Welsh academic, biographer and journalist. Biography Lewis was raised in Bedwas, Monmouthshire, and educated at Bassaleg School in Newport. He then attended the University of St Andrews, graduating MA, ...

(born 1960), a Welsh academic, biographer and journalist; lives in Bad Ischl. *

Jacques de Menasce Jacques de Menasce (August 19, 1905 – January 28, 1960) was a composer, pianist, and music criticism, critic of Austrians, Austrian, and later Americans, American, nationality. Jacques de Menasce was born in Bad Ischl, then in the German-speaki ...

(1905 in Bad Ischl - 1960), a composer, pianist and critic *

Wilhelm von Mirbach Wilhelm Maria Theodor Ernst Richard Graf von Mirbach-Harff (2 July 1871 – 6 July 1918) was a German diplomat, and was assassinated while ambassador to Moscow. Biography Born in Bad Ischl in Upper Austria into a Catholic Rhenan aristocratic ...

(1871 in Bad Ischl – 1918 in Moscow) assadsinated German diplomat. *

Leo Perutz Leopold Perutz (2 November 1882, Prague – 25 August 1957, Bad Ischl) was an Austrian novelist and mathematician. He was born in Prague (now capital of the Czech Republic) and was thus a citizen of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He lived in Vienn ...

, (1882 in

- 1957 in Bad Ischl), an Austrian novelist and mathematician. *

Resi Pesendorfer Resi Pesendorfer (born Theresia Laimer: 21 June 1902 - 31 October 1989) was an First Austrian Republic, Austrian political activist, close during the 1920s to History of the Social Democratic Party of Austria, the Social Democrats. With the Self ...

(1902 in Bad Ischl - 1989) a resistance activist opposing

Austrofascism The Fatherland Front ( de-AT, Vaterländische Front, ''VF'') was the right-wing conservative, nationalist and corporatist ruling political organisation of the Federal State of Austria. It claimed to be a nonpartisan Nonpartisanism is a lack ...

Udo Plamberger Udo Plamberger (born 1 January 1971) is a former professional tennis player from Austria. Biography Plamberger, who was born in Bad Ischl, played only doubles on the ATP Tour. Doubles partners included Pat Cash, Andrei Cherkasov and Younes El ...

(born 1971 in Bad Ischl) a former professional tennis player * Josef Plieseis (1913 in Bad Ischl - 1966 in Bad Ischl), communist '' Widerstand'' fighter *

Wolfram von Richthofen Wolfram Karl Ludwig Moritz Hermann Freiherr von Richthofen (10 October 1895 – 12 July 1945) was a German World War I flying ace who rose to the rank of ''Generalfeldmarschall'' in the Luftwaffe during World War II. Born in 1895 into a fa ...

(1895-1945), German field marshal, died in captivity at Bad Ischl *

Viktor Schauberger Viktor Schauberger (30 June 1885 – 25 September 1958) was an Austrian forest caretaker, natural history, naturalist, philosopher, inventor and biomimicry experimenter. Schauberger developed his own ideas based on what he observed in nature. In ...

(1885–1958), was an Austrian

forester A forester is a person who practises forestry, the science, art, and profession of managing forests. Foresters engage in a broad range of activities including ecological restoration and management of protected areas. Foresters manage forests to ...

/forest warden, naturalist, philosopher, inventor and

Biomimicry Biomimetics or biomimicry is the emulation of the models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems. The terms "biomimetics" and "biomimicry" are derived from grc, βίος (''bios''), life, and μίμησ ...

experimenter. * Oscar Straus, (1870 in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

- 1954 in Bad Ischl), composer of operettas and film scores * Therese Wiet (1885 in Vienna – 1971 in Bad Ischl), an Austrian operetta and concert singer

Twin towns

Gödöllő Gödöllő (; german: Getterle; sk, Jedľovo) is a town in Pest County, Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary, about northeast from the outskirts of Budapest. Its population is 34,396 according to the 2010 census and is growing rapidly. It can ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

Opatija Opatija (; it, Abbazia; german: Sankt Jakobi) is a town and a municipality in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in western Croatia. The traditional seaside resort on the Kvarner Gulf is known for its Mediterranean climate and its historic buildings r ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...

Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and Pars pro toto#Geography, often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of Southern Europe, south and southeast Euro ...

References

External links

Bad Ischl's government website

Bad Ischl Tourist Board

* {{authority control Cities and towns in Gmunden District Spa towns in Austria