Need to know: Bad Ischl, Austria

When to go

In summer, the Salzkammergut lake district region is a joy, but it is also busy. Spring (May–jun) and autumn (Sep–oct) see the hiking routes and lakes empty. Winter is skiing season.

Getting there & around

The nearest airport to Bad Ischl is Salzburg. British Airways (ba.com) is one of many airlines to fly direct from the UK. Returns from London Gatwick cost from £84 and take 2 hours. There is no direct train from Salzburg to Bad Ischl, so take bus 150 from Salzburg train station (£13). Trains depart Bad Ischl for Bad Goisern and Hallstatt.

Carbon offset

A return flight from London to Salzburg produces 222kg of carbon per passenger. Wanderlust encourages you to offset your travel footprint through a reputable provider. For advice on how to find one, visit wanderlust.co.uk/sustainable-travel.

Visa & currency

Visa: Not required by UK nationals for stays of up to 90 days. Currency: Euro (EUR), currently around €1.17 to the UK£.

Where to stay

Stadthotel Goldenes Schiff, Bad Ischl, is stylish without being stuffy and has a well-stocked spa. Doubles from £95pn. goldenes-schiff.at

Goiserer Mühle, Bad Goisern, is a family-style hotel ten minutes’ drive from Bad Ischl. Doubles from £178pn. hotel-goiserermuehle.at

Hallstatt Hideaway, Hallstatt, is among a handful of adults-only private suites with alpine views and access to a pine sauna. Doubles from £256pn. hallstatt-hideaway.com

Food & drink

In Bad Ischl, Cafe Konditorei Zauner (zauner.at) is a legendary cake shop – try the house speciality kipferl biscuits. Restaurant Elizabeth (restauration-elisabeth.at) is the city’s most elegant historical restaurant, while Café Ramsauer (Kaiser-franzjosef-straße 8) was once a favourite of composer Johann Strauss. Look out too for Tavern Culture Reloaded, a lively Cofc pop-up inside Bad Ischl train station that is run by TV chef Christoph ‘Krauli’ Held and his group of apprentice chefs (25–28 Apr, 14–16 Jun, 27–30 Jul, 25–28 Sep; 4–9pm); also try his restaurant Siriuskogl (siriuskogl.at).

Don’t miss

The Sudhaus is hosting Art with Salt and Water, an exhibition that explores the region’s relationship with salt. It is one of the main Cofc exhibitions. salzkammergut-2024.at

Kaiservilla was the summer residence of Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elizabeth (‘Sisi’). Don’t miss seeing the desk at which he signed the declaration of war on Serbia, which escalated into the First World War. kaiservilla.at

Ebensee concentration camp was destroyed after Austria’s liberation, but the tunnels that prisoners were forced to dig still exist. memorial-ebensee.at

Hand.werk.haus in Bad Goisern has a shop downstairs selling artisanal pottery, gin and clothes; upstairs is a museum on traditional crafts. It has a host of workshops and exhibitions during the Cofc. handwerkhaus.at

The village of Hallstatt is so impossibly pretty that China made an exact replica of it. It has shaped the identity of the Salzkammergut region, thanks to its 7,000-year-old salt mines.

Further information

Salzkammergut tourist board’s Kulturcard costs £42 and offers discounts at museums, concerts and exhibitions in the Cofc programme. salzkammergut-2024.at – Festival site austria.info/en – Tourist board site