Bad Ischl is the cultural and practical heart of the Salzkammergut, the lake district east of Salzburg. Emperor Franz Joseph spent every summer here for 60 years, from 1849 until the First World War, and the Kaiservilla where he summered is open for tours. The declaration of war that launched World War I was signed here in 1914. The Konditorei Zauner, open since 1832, maintains the imperial confectionery tradition. Franz Lehár, composer of The Merry Widow, lived and worked in his villa here. In 2024, Bad Ischl hosted the European Capital of Culture. As an overnight base, it sits at the center of the Salzkammergut with good connections to Hallstatt, the Attersee, Bad Aussee, and Wolfgangsee. About 1 hour from Salzburg by car.