Salzkammergut

Hallstatt-Dachstein / Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country	Austria
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iii, iv
Reference	806
Region **	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	1997 (21st Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

The Salzkammergut is a resort area located in Austria. It stretches from City of Salzburg to the Dachstein mountain range, spanning the federal states of Upper Austria (80%), Salzburg (7%), and Styria (13%). The main river of the region is the Traun, a tributary of the Danube. The name Salzkammergut means "Estate of the Salt Chamber" and derives from the Imperial Salt Chamber, the authority charged with running the precious salt mines in the Habsburg empire.

With its numerous lakes and mountains, the Salzkammergut offers many opportunities to take part in water sports, bathing, hiking, cycling and golf as well as relaxing around lakes such as the Grundlsee or Toplitzsee. The Katrinalm, an alpine pasture, is found near Bad Ischl. Typical Salzkammergut culinary specialities include dishes such as Kaiserschmarrn (cut-up and sugared pancake with raisins), Krapfen (similar to doughnuts) or Lebkuchen (gingerbread).

Large parts of the region were listed as a World Heritage Site in 1997, with the description: "Human activity in the magnificent natural landscape of the Salzkammergut began in prehistoric times, with the salt deposits being exploited as early as the 2nd millennium B.C. This resource formed the basis of the area's prosperity up to the middle of the 20th century, a prosperity that is reflected in the fine architecture of the town of Hallstatt."

Tourismusregion Salzkammergut

Salzkammergut Tourismus-Marketing GmbH
Legal status	Limited liability company (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung)
Founded	2002
Location	Bad Ischl
Leadership	Ronald Felder
Sector	Marketing of tourism for the Salzkammergut region
Website	salzkammergut.at

Today the Salzkammergut tourism region comprises 52 municipalities that are part of three provinces of Austria. The biggest part (72%) is in Upper Austria Oberösterreich (parts of the district of Gmunden and the district of Vöcklabruck), 16%, the Ausseerland area, are part of the province of Styria (district of Liezen – political branch district of Bad Aussee). The smallest part (12%) is in the province of Salzburg (district Salzburg and surroundings).

Regions in the Salzkammergut

Wolfgangsee with St. Gilgen in the foreground

The Salzkammergut consists of ten regions which also include lakes:

• Ausseerland
• Inner Salzkammergut
• Mondseeland - Mondsee / Irrsee
• Almtal
• Attersee
• Attergau
• Bad Ischl
• Traunsee
• Fuschlsee
• Wolfgangsee

Since 2002 this tourism region has marketed itself with the Salzkammergut Tourismus-Marketing GmbH, 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.

Economy

The Salzkammergut area is predominantly a tourist area and has been so for over a century.^{[citation needed]} Emperor Franz Joseph I spent his summer holidays in Bad Ischl in 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.^{[citation needed]}

Recreational facilities include swimming and water sports at 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.^{[citation needed]}

There used to be a salt mining industry but it is today relatively minor contributor to the local economy.^{[citation needed]} More important is the forest industry. Industrial sites include Ebensee, Gmunden, Laakirchen and Steyrermühl.^{[citation needed]} The Salzkammergut also profits from its tradition of small businesses and trade companies, many of which originated due to the salt mining.^{[citation needed]}

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 [1] formerly ran from Salzburg to Bad Ischl, but it closed in 1957.

Towns and municipalities in the Salzkammergut

Town	Elevation (m)	Population	Additional information
Altaussee	720 - 1800	1897
Altmünster	433	9485
Attersee	469	1500
Aurach am Hongar	498	1585
Bad Aussee	650 - 1500	5037
Bad Goisern	504	8462
Bad Ischl	468	16680	Summer residence of Emperor Franz Joseph
Bad Mitterndorf	812	3035	Location of the largest natural ski-jump, Kulm
Bad Wimsbach-Neydharting	385	2300
Ebenau	607	1352
Ebensee	425	8734
Faistenau	786	2900
Frankenmarkt	536	3500
Fuschl am See	670	1323
Gmunden	425	15075
Gosau	767	2000
Grünau	528	2100
Grundlsee	712	1218
Gschwandt	523	2500
Hallstatt	508	950	World Heritage Site
Hintersee	746	460
Hof bei Salzburg	730	3600
Innerschwand	520	1046
Koppl	750	3044
Laakirchen	441	9133	A natural preserve and mud spa is here, the Moorbad Gmös
Mondsee	481	3100
Nussdorf am Attersee	500	1120
Oberhofen am Irrsee	573	1335
Obertraun	514	764
Oberwang	572	1572
Pichl-Kainisch	803	782
Pinsdorf	493	3585
Scharnstein	501	4876
Schörfling am Attersee	510	3163
Schwanenstadt	389	4330
Seewalchen am Attersee	495	4977
Steinbach am Attersee	509	1003
Sankt Georgen im Attergau	540	6546
Sankt Lorenz	486	2008
St. Gilgen	542	3706	Mozart's mother was born here (and the birth house has been preserved), and his sister also lived here. There is now an international boarding school in the village center called St. Gilgen International School, which attracts students from around the world.
Sankt Konrad	585	1033
Straß im Attergau	579	1498
Strobl	542	3466
St. Wolfgang	540	2797	Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl used to spend his summer holidays here. The real "Im Weißen Rössl", (the "White Horse Inn"), that inspired the famous "operetta" of Ralph Benatzky, is here.
Tauplitz	900 - 2000	1005
Thalgau	545	5200
Tiefgraben	550	2950
Traunkirchen	422	1775
Unterach am Attersee	468	1500
Vöcklabruck	433	12000	The Gateway to the Salzkammergut
Vöcklamarkt	488	5000
Weyregg am Attersee	482	1503
Zell am Moos	573	1400

External links

• Salzkammergut Tourism
• Tourism site about the region
• Romantikhotel "Im Weißen Rössl"