Salzurg's Lake District

The words ‘Im Salzkammergut, da kann man gut lustig sein’, are quoted from Benatzky’s song ‘Im weißen Rössl am Wolfgangsee‘ (The White Horse Inn), set in the still-existing inn at nearby St. Wolfgang. Its meaning is simple but appropriate to this stay: ‘You can have a good time in the Salzkammergut!’ Salzkammergut literally means ‘the treasure house of the salt’, as revenue from the area’s salt (Salz) mines allowed Salzburg’s archbishops to create magnificent churches, fine palaces and a great medieval fortress (the Hohensalzburg). This beautiful Lake District of Salzburg featured strongly in the film ‘The Sound of Music’ with its opening scenes, mountain train and wedding church. The series of Sisi films followed the fortunes of Elisabeth of Bavaria who met and fell in love with Emperor Franz Josef of Habsburg at Bad Ischl, a spa town of some repute that became their summer residence (visit the ‘Trinkhalle’ or Zauners, the Emperor’s favourite coffee house). The charming village of Fuschl lies on Lake Fuschl, the closest of the main lakes and just a 30-minute drive from Salzburg. A public bus operates regularly to Salzburg, St. Gilgen and Bad Ischl.