Introduction to Bad Ischl

Bad Ischl is one of the country's most fashionable spas and was the summer seat of Emperor Franz Josef for more than 60 years. The town, constructed on a peninsula between the Traun River and its tributary, the Ischl, still reflects a certain imperial conceit in its architecture, much of it left over from the heyday of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The spa establishments provide relaxing brine-sulfur mud baths, which might not be the most aromatic of experiences but supposedly are beneficial for a variety of ailments.