Gosau is a municipality in the district of Gmunden in Upper Austria , Austria .
30-710: Gosau is situated along the Gosaubach stream in the Salzkammergut region. The center of the town is at an elevation of 767 metres (2,516 ft). 58.9% of the municipality is forested. At the southern end of Gosau there is a road leading to the Vorderer Gosausee , a lake with a view of the Dachstein . Gosau is one of the few Lutheran communities in Austria, with about 71% of the population being Lutheran. The valley around Gosau
60-481: A salt evaporation pond ( German : Saline ) followed in 1571. When in the early part of the 19th century brine became medically popular in Continental Europe, Ischl soon turned into a fashionable spa resort – notable guests included Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich (1773–1859), Archduke Rudolf of Austria (1788–1831) and Archduke Franz Karl of Austria (1802–1878). The Hotel Post , opened in 1828,
90-519: A "buffer zone" of another 200 square kilometres. The core zone includes the towns Hallstatt , Obertraun , Gosau and Bad Goisern . The site sits at the core of interdisciplinary research and is helping to contribute to the understanding of socio-ecological systems and how these might help to address future challenges and the role that archaeologists can play in communicating and engaging with climate change and its impacts. Bad Ischl Bad Ischl ( Austrian German [baːt ˈɪʃl̩] )
120-503: A holding company of the 54 municipalities of the Salzkammergut that are entitled to use the name “Salzkammergut” as a brand according to the tourism regulations of the three provinces. UNESCO designated "Hallstatt–Dachstein/Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape" ( Kulturlandschaft Hallstatt–Dachstein/Salzkammergut ) a World Heritage Site in 1997, with the description The area designated was defined on an area of 284 square kilometres, with
150-658: A museum. The Saint Nicholas parish church was first mentioned in a 1344 deed. Bad Ischl is also known for the Konditorei Zauner pastry shop, former k.u.k. purveyor established in 1832, and the small Lehártheater built in 1827. A gondola lift runs from the town up to the Katrin alpine pasture at 1415 m (4643 ft), which offers a panoramic view of the Salzkammergut mountains. The ruins of Wildenstein Castle, which burnt down in 1715, are nearby. The Bad Ischl Cemetery
180-748: Is a resort area in Austria , stretching from the city of Salzburg eastwards along the Alpine Foreland and the Northern Limestone Alps to the peaks of the Dachstein Mountains . The main river of the region is the Traun , a right tributary of the Danube . The name Salzkammergut translates to " salt demesne " (or "salt domain"), Kammergut being a German word for territories held by princes of
210-466: Is a spa town in Austria. It lies in the southern part of Upper Austria , at the river Traun in the centre of the Salzkammergut region. The town consists of the Katastralgemeinden Ahorn , Bad Ischl , Haiden , Jainzen , Kaltenbach , Lauffen , Lindau , Pfandl , Perneck , Reiterndorf and Rettenbach . It is connected to the village of Strobl by the river Ischl, which drains from
240-607: Is also an important economic activity. Gosau is governed by a 19-member council and Mayor Markus Schmaranzer of the Austrian People's Party . This Upper Austria location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Salzkammergut 47°42′N 13°35′E / 47.700°N 13.583°E / 47.700; 13.583 The Salzkammergut ( Austrian German: [ˈsaltskamɐɡuːt] , Northern German: [ˈzaltskamɐɡuːt] ; Central Austro-Bavarian : Soizkaumaguad )
270-572: The Kaiservilla (Imperial Villa) as a wedding present. The villa became the imperial family's summer residence; Franz Joseph described it as "Heaven on Earth". The Emperor granted to his mistress Katharina Schratt a nearby mansion, easily reached via a hidden footpath. In the Kaiservilla on 28 July 1914 Franz Joseph signed Austria-Hungary 's declaration of war against the Kingdom of Serbia , signalling
300-562: The Battle on the Marchfeld . Rudolph's son King Albert I of Germany defended his hegemony against the rival Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg to the west and in 1298 made the lands of Ischl a present to his wife Countess Elisabeth of Gorizia-Tyrol . Emperor Maximilian I added to the territory the estates of Mondsee Abbey in 1506. The Habsburg officials resided at Wildenstein Castle near Ischl and
330-769: The Holy Roman Empire , in early modern Austria specifically territories of the Habsburg monarchy . The salt mines of Salzkammergut were administered by the Imperial Salzoberamt in Gmunden from 1745 to 1850. Parts of the region were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The lands on the shore of the Traun River comprise numerous glacial lakes and raised bogs , the Salzkammergut Mountains and
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#1732852561246360-600: The Kaiservilla , from which he governed his empire in the warmer months. This was also where he signed the declaration of war with Serbia that started World War I . The salt mining industry is the namesake of the region, but is today a relatively minor contributor to the local economy. The forest industry is now more important. Industrial sites include Ebensee , Gmunden , Laakirchen and Steyrermühl . The Salzkammergut also profits from its tradition of small businesses and trade companies, many of which originated due to
390-615: The Wolfgangsee , and to the Traunsee , into which the stream empties. It is home to the Kaiservilla , summer residence of Austro-Hungarian monarchs Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth . In 2024, Bad Ischl will be one of the European Capitals of Culture – the third city in Austria after Graz (2003) and Linz (2009). Humans have lived in the Bad Ischl area since the time of
420-538: The 15th century. The Salzkammer in Gmunden was made Salzoberamt by a decree of empress Maria Theresia of 22 May 1745. The term Salzkammergut dates to this period, during which the Gmunden Salzoberamt was the administrative seat of all salt mines in the region, with subordinate offices at Ischl, Ebensee am Traunsee, Stadl, Lambach, Wels, Zizlau, Enghagen, Mauthausen and Linz. The Salzämter were dissolved in
450-453: The 19th century. Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1850 transformed the Gmunden Salzoberamt into the k.k. Salinen- und Forstdirektion , the predecessor of the modern Salinen Austria AG (a joint-stock company since 1979, fully privatised in 1997). During the time of Emperor Franz Joseph I , the Salzkammergut area was a hub of cultured life. The Emperor spent his summer holidays in Bad Ischl in
480-623: The Habsburg monarchy within the region. Since 2002, however, there has been a well-defined Tourismusregion Salzkammergut , marketed by Salzkammergut Tourismus-Marketing GmbH , a company located in Bad Ischl . As defined by this company, Salzkammergut as a tourist region includes 58 municipalities in three Austrian states, the majority within Upper Austria ( Gmunden and Vöcklabruck districts), besides smaller portions of Styria and Salzburg . Salzkammergut Tourismus-Marketing GmbH divides
510-591: The Salzkammergut region into ten sub-regions, as follows: Archaeological findings in the area date back to the Neolithic era, especially the stilt houses of the Mondsee group culture, who settled the region from about 3800 BC onwards. The Germanic name hall of several settlements refers to the region's numerous salt mines , which had been in use at least since the days of the Celtic Hallstatt culture , centered at
540-776: The Traungau fell to the Babenberg duchy of Austria upon the deposition of the Bavarian duke Henry the Lion in 1180, the southeastern Ausseerland remained with the newly-established Duchy of Styria , which nevertheless from 1192 was held in personal union by the Austrian Babenbergs. In 1278 King Rudolph I of Germany , a scion of the Swabian House of Habsburg , finally seized both duchies from King Ottokar II of Bohemia , whom he defeated in
570-589: The United States, Israel or Canada. The Bad Ischl DP camp remained active from 1945 until 1952. Approximately 15% of the city's population was foreign born in 2019. Besides the Kaiservilla , the city offers several health spas and tourist attractions, like the historic Kongresshaus opened in 1875, the new Kurhaus built by Clemens Holzmeister in 1932, as well as the Lehár Villa , the former residence of Franz Lehár , that he acquired in 1912 and today serves as
600-597: The adjacent Dachstein Mountains , the Totes Gebirge and the Upper Austrian Prealps with prominent Mt. Traunstein in the east. The towering mountain slopes are characterized by bright limestone ( karst ) and flysch rocks. Salzkammergut is not an official administrative division of Austria and as such has no clear borders. The historical term referred not to a region but to specific possessions (salt mines) of
630-553: The area was annexed by the German Reich along with the rest of Austria, and Gosau became part of the "Gau Oberdonau," returning to Upper Austria when the Republic of Austria was reconstituted in 1945. In the past timber production and salt mining in neighboring Hallstatt were the major industries in Gosau. Today, tourism is the main source of income, although raising livestock, mainly cattle,
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#1732852561246660-484: The many lakes, mountaineering , cycling and horse riding holidays, winter sports and cultural events. The region owes its reputation as a recreational area not only to its landscape and climate but also to its many spas . It remains a major tourist area despite its age. Since 2002, the tourism region has marketed itself with the Salzkammergut Tourismus-Marketing GmbH ( salzkammergut.at ),
690-650: The mining town of Hallstatt. These operations were continued by the Romans , after the area had been incorporated into the Noricum province in 15 BC. A Roman settlement and salt evaporation pond at Hallstatt is documented about 100, affected by several Germanic invasions after the Marcomannic Wars , until the province was finally evacuated at the behest of the Italian king Odoacer in 488. From about 530, Bavarii tribes settled
720-470: The pre-historic Hallstatt culture ; documentary evidence of the settlement dates from a 1262 deed, it which it appears as Iselen . In 1419 Archduke Albert V of Austria established the local seat of the Salt Chamber ( Salzkammer [ de ] ) at Wildenstein Castle, and Ischl was granted the privileges of a market town in 1466 by Emperor Frederick III . A first salt mine was opened in 1563,
750-637: The region from the west, they encountered Alpine Slavs who had moved northwards through the Enns Valley and across the Dachstein Mountains. From 900 salt trade is again documented along the Traun River, when the area was part of the Traun gau region of the German stem duchy of Bavaria , held by the comital dynasty of the Otakars , who from 1056 also ruled over the neighbouring March of Styria . While most of
780-624: The salt mining. The unemployment rate was approximately 4.8% in 2005, compared to an overall figure of 7.3% for Austria. A well-known narrow-gauge railway , the Salzkammergut-Lokalbahn formerly ran from Salzburg to Bad Ischl , but it closed in 1957. A standard gauge railroad continues to run through the region, as well as the Schafbergbahn rack railway in St. Wolfgang. Recreational facilities include swimming and water sports at
810-908: The start of hostilities in World War I . He left Bad Ischl on the following day and never returned. The Habsburg-Lorraine family still own the villa, although the grounds and parts of the residence are now open to the public. In the aftermath of the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II , Bad Ischl became the location of a displaced persons (DP) camp for survivors of the Holocaust and of Nazi concentration camps in Eastern Europe. The resident displaced persons were primarily Jews from Poland and other neighboring countries. They received lodging, food, medical care and administrative assistance until able to make other, more permanent arrangements. Many left for
840-550: The surrounding estates were designated a Kammergut , as first documented in a 1656 deed. In the 17th century, Ischl and Hallstatt were considered separate Kammergüter . The salt mines were immediate domains of the Habsburg King of the Romans and mining part of his princely regalia . The salt mines were administered by the financial aulic chamber at Vienna , represented by the salt chamber ( Salzamt ) in Gmunden , established in
870-726: Was settled in the 13th century by monks from St. Peter's Abbey in Salzburg . Timber production for the salt mine in Hallstatt was a major industry. In 1490 the town became part of the Principality above the Enns River . The area was repeatedly occupied by the French during the Napoleonic wars . When the Republic of Austria was formed in 1918, Gosau became part of the federal state of Upper Austria. In 1938
900-590: Was the first one in the whole Salzkammergut area. In 1849 Franz Karl's son, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria chose the town for his summer residence . On 19 August 1853 the engagement between Franz Joseph and Elisabeth of Bavaria ( Sisi ) took place at the Seeauerhaus , Esplanade No. 10, which since 1989 has been the location of the Museum der Stadt Bad Ischl . In 1854, the Emperor's mother, Archduchess Sophie , gave him
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