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, Somerset, Ba ...

in Austria. It lies in the southern part of

Upper Austria Upper Austria ( ; ; ) is one of the nine States of Austria, states 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, and Salzburg (state), Salzbur ...

, at the river Traun in the centre of the

Salzkammergut The Salzkammergut (, ; ) 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 Mountains. The main river of the region is the Traun (r ...

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 by the river Ischl, which drains from the Wolfgangsee, and to the Traunsee, into which the stream empties. It is home to the Kaiservilla, summer residence of

Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

monarchs Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth. In 2024, Bad Ischl was one of the European Capitals of Culture – the third city in

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

after

Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...

(2003) and

Linz Linz (Pronunciation: , ; ) is the capital of Upper Austria and List of cities and towns in Austria, third-largest city in Austria. Located on the river Danube, the city is in the far north of Austria, south of the border with the Czech Repub ...

(2009).

History

Humans have lived in the Bad Ischl area since the time of the pre-historic

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

; documentary evidence of the settlement dates from a 1262 deed, it which it appears as ''Iselen''. In 1419 Archduke Albert V of Austria established the local seat of the Salt Chamber (') 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 rura ...

in 1466 by Emperor Frederick III. A first salt mine 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 expansive, allowing sunlight to penetrate and reach the seawater. Natural salt pans are formed thr ...

() followed in 1571. When in the early part of the 19th century

brine Brine (or briny water) is a high-concentration solution of salt (typically sodium chloride or calcium chloride) in water. In diverse contexts, ''brine'' may refer to the salt solutions ranging from about 3.5% (a typical concentration of seawat ...

became medically popular in Continental Europe, Ischl soon turned into a fashionable spa resort – notable guests included Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich (1773–1859),

Archduke Rudolf of Austria Rudolph Johann Joseph Rainier, Archduke of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia, Cardinal-Archbishop of Olomouc (8 January 1788 – 24 July 1831), was a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine The House of Habsburg-Lorraine () origin ...

(1788–1831) and Archduke Franz Karl of Austria (1802–1878). 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 ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the Grand title of the emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death ...

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

Elisabeth of Bavaria Elisabeth (born Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria; 24 December 1837 – 10 September 1898), nicknamed Sisi or Sissi, was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary from her marriage to Franz Joseph I of Austria on 24 April 1854 until h ...

(''Sisi'') took place at the ''Seeauerhaus'', Esplanade No. 10, which since 1989 has been the location of the . 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". The Emperor granted to his mistress Katharina Schratt a nearby mansion, easily reached via a hidden footpath. In the '' Kaiservilla'' on 28 July 1914 Franz Joseph signed

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

's declaration of war against the

Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Principality was ruled by the Obrenović dynast ...

, signalling the start of hostilities in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He left Bad Ischl on the following day and never returned. The

Habsburg-Lorraine The House of Habsburg-Lorraine () originated from the marriage in 1736 of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, Francis III, Duke of Lorraine and Bar, and Maria Theresa of Habsburg monarchy, Austria, later successively List of Bohemian monarchs, Queen ...

family still own the villa, although the grounds and parts of the residence are now open to the public. In the aftermath of the 1945 defeat of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Bad Ischl became the location of a displaced persons (DP) camp for survivors of

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

and of

Nazi concentration camps From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps (), including subcamp (SS), subcamps on its own territory and in parts of German-occupied Europe. The first camps were established in March 1933 immediately af ...

in Eastern Europe. The resident

displaced persons Forced displacement (also forced migration or forced relocation) is an involuntary or coerced movement of a person or people away from their home or home region. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR defines 'forced displaceme ...

were primarily Jews from Poland and other neighboring countries. They received lodging, food, medical care and administrative assistance until able to make other, more permanent arrangements. Many left for the United States, Israel or Canada. The Bad Ischl DP camp remained active from 1945 until 1952.

Population

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

Sights

Besides the '' Kaiservilla'', 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 Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Austrian Academy of Fine Arts listed his life's work as containing 673 pro ...

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

Franz Lehár Franz Lehár ( ; ; 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 and career L ...

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

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (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 Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...

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

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). File:Kaiservilla vorderansicht.jpg, Kaiservilla File:Bad Ischl - Trinkhalle.JPG, Trinkhalle File:Kongress und Theaterhaus Bad Ischl DSC 3295w.jpg, Kongress- und Theaterhaus File:Kazalište Lehar, Bad Ischl.JPG, Lehar-Filmtheater File:Nikolauskirche Ischl 01.JPG, St. Nicholas' Church

Notable people

* Leopold Hasner von Artha (1818 – 1891 in Bad Ischl), politician, the 4th Minister-President of Cisleithania *

(1870 – 1948 in Bad Ischl),

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...

composer, he wrote ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' ( ) is an operetta by the Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The Libretto, librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein (writer), Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's ...

'' * Oscar Straus (1870 – 1954 in Bad Ischl), composer of operettas and film scores * Wilhelm von Mirbach (1871 in Bad Ischl – 1918), German diplomat, assassinated in Moscow. * Leo Perutz (1882 – 1957 in Bad Ischl), an Austrian novelist and mathematician. * Rudi Gfaller (1882 – 1972 in Bad Ischl), an operetta composer and singer * Viktor Schauberger (1885 – 1958),

forester A forester is a person who practises forest management and 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. Fores ...

naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

, philosopher, inventor and pseudoscientist * Therese Wiet (1885 – 1971 in Bad Ischl), an Austrian operetta and concert singer * Karl Eglseer (1890 in Bad Ischl – 1944), a general in the Wehrmacht in WWII * Wolfram von Richthofen (1895 – 1945), German field marshal, died in captivity at Bad Ischl * Resi Pesendorfer (1902 in Bad Ischl – 1989), a resistance activist opposing Austrofascism * Leopold Engleitner (1905 – 2013),

conscientious objector A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of conscience or religion. The term has also been extended to objecting to working for the military–indu ...

, grew up in Bad Ischl. * Jacques de Menasce (1905 in Bad Ischl – 1960), a composer, pianist and critic * Josef Plieseis (1913 – 1966), communist '' Widerstand'' fighter * Sir Henry Rowe KCB, QC (1916 – 1992), British lawyer and parliamentary draftsman. * Sir Gustav Nossal CBE FRS (born 1931), research biologist into antibody formation and immunological tolerance. * Franz Josef Altenburg (1941 – 2021), aristocrat, ceramicist and sculptor *

Helmut Berger Helmut Berger (; ''né'' Steinberger; 29 May 1944 – 18 May 2023) was an Austrian actor, known for his portrayal of narcissistic and sexually ambiguous characters. He was one of the stars of European cinema in the late 1960s and 1970s, and is r ...

(born 1944 in Bad Ischl), actor of narcissistic and ambiguous characters. * Jörg Haider (1950 – 2008), politician (FPÖ), attended school in Bad Ischl. * Roger Lewis (born 1960), a Welsh academic, biographer and journalist; lives in Bad Ischl.

Sport

* Udo Plamberger (born 1971 in Bad Ischl), a former professional tennis player * Wolfgang Loitzl (born 1980), an Austrian former ski jumper and team gold medallist at the

2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...

* Sarah Zadrazil (born 1993), an Austrian footballer who has played 111 games for Austria women * Carina Edlinger (born 1998), visually-impaired Paralympic cross-country skier and medallist

Twin towns

Gödöllő Gödöllő, officially the City of Gödöllő, is a city 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 b ...

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, 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 and ...

Opatija Opatija (; ; ) is a List of cities and towns in Croatia, town and a municipality in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in northwestern Croatia. The traditional seaside resort on the Kvarner Gulf is known for its Mediterranean climate and its historic bu ...

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...

Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to the north a ...

References

External links

Bad Ischl's government website

Bad Ischl Tourist Board

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