The Salzkammergut

The Salzkammergut, which extends around Hallstatt and the Dachstein massif, has been listed as World Heritage Site by the UNESCO for its cultural and natural importance.

Within the Salzkammergut, which starts at the border of Salzburg city, you find not less than 70 lakes. The landscape provides some of the most delightful rivers, lakes and the incredibly beautiful mountains of the Dachstein massif. The Salzkammergut is mostly famous for its scenery shown in the film “Sound of Music” – which is particularly popular in the USA and in Japan. Starting from the Mirabellplatz in the centre of Salzburg there are a lot of tours that take you to the real locations of the film situated in Salzburg city as well as in the Salzkammergut.

Bad Ischl

The centre of the Salzkammergut is Bad Ischl. In former times it was salt mining that brought economic wealth to the city. Since the archbishops of Salzburg used to hold the monopoly on salt mining before, they were not too keen on having to face this new competitor and therefore conflicts between the archbishops and the residents of Bad Ischl aroused. In the 19th century Ischl – as it was called then – became a spa town because of its healing brine baths. The first 40 patients came to the spa in 1822, in the following year the number of guest doubled.

The list of patients and guests had soon the names of important politicians and members of the imperial family on it. Influential people like the Prime Minister Metternich, Archduke Rudolf or even the parents of the later Emperor Franz Josef – Franz Karl and Sophie – were among the guests.

The Golden Age of Bad Ischl began, as Franz Josef I built his residence for the summer in Ischl in the years 1849-1914. In 1853 the Emperor and Elisabeth “Sisi” of Bavaria celebrated their engagement in the “Ischler Seeauerhaus”. Ischl was renamed Bad Ischl in 1906 and it was that time that the city became a Mecca for a lot of composers like Anton Bruckner, Johann Strauß, Franz Lehar and Johannes Brahms.

The manifest “An meine Völker” (“To my peoples”), in which Franz Josef declared war to the Kingdom of Serbia, was written at the “Kaiservilla” (the Emperor’s villa) in Bad Ischl.

Enjoy a journey through the Salzkammergut and Bad Ischl with all its stunning landscapes, beauties of nature and cultural as well as historical aspects.

As the Salzkammergut is located near to Salzburg, the city offers a convenient starting point for a day trip to Bad Ischl.

If you stay at Hotel Kamml – which is close to the centre of Salzburg – you will benefit from its proximity to the Salzkammergut. Send us your non-binding booking request now and get more information about our Hotel Kamml in Salzburg.