Page 212 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Austria

210  A USTRIA REGION B Y REGION

a Salzkammergut Lakes

This corner of Austria is one of the country’s most-
visited regions. With more than 70 lakes surrounded
by mountains, it features breathtaking scenery as
well as a unique climate. During winter it becomes a
hotspot for skiiers, while the summer months serve
hikers and those keen to take in the views. This is also
one of the few areas in Europe to preserve many
original folk customs, including the tradition of
placing a crib in front of the house at Christmas.
Mondsee
The warmest of the Salzkammergut lakes,
at the foot of craggy mountains, is popular
with windsurfers. The little town of the
same name arose around a Benedictine
abbey, which dominates it to this day.

Braunau
St Georgen
Attersee

Attersee

Mondsee
. St Wolfgang
The main attraction in this charming
small town and holiday resort is the Salzburg
parish church, with its beautiful altar­ Mondsee
piece by Michael Pacher (see p209).

Unterach

Burggrabenklamm
Politicians and Artists on Holiday
The shores of the Salzkammergut lakes have seen many famous visitors.
The house that witnessed the engagement of Emperor Franz Joseph I
to Elisabeth of Bavaria in 1853 is now a museum with memorabilia of
famous guests, in Bad Ischl. There were scores of them: crowned heads
and high­ranking aristocrats were joined by artists. Franz Lehár, composer St Wolfgang
of operettas such as The Merry Widow and The Land of Smiles, had his villa W o l f g a n g s e e
here; so did the actor Alexander Girardi and the actress Katharina Schratt,
the long­term mistress of Franz Joseph I. Other regular visitors included
the writer and actor Strobl
Johannes Nepomuk
Nestroy, the painter Rudolf
von Alt, and musicians
Johannes Brahms, Anton
Bruckner, Johann Strauss Key
and Imre Kálmán. In the late
20th century, many politi­ Motorway
cians spent their holidays Major road
in St Wolfgang, including Minor road
both the Austrian and River
German chancellors. Franz Joseph I and his hunting party
Bundesland provincial border
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp296–7 and pp320–21

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