Bad Ischl and Bad Aussee

The next day was Friday, a regular weekday. That meant I had treatments all day.

We spent the break between sessions relaxing by and in the pool.

The weather was phenomenal again – the sun blazed from the sky, and the cool water was a welcome relief.

Then finally: at 2:30 p.m., my last treatment ended, and we set off right away.

We had planned a visit to Bad Ischl for the day. Although we had visited the Salzkammergut many times, we had never made it to the “Imperial City.”

After about 40 minutes of driving, we arrived at this wonderful town, historically known as the summer residence of Emperor Franz Joseph and famous worldwide.

We quickly found a parking spot. A bridge led us into the city center.

We strolled along the charming promenade until we reached the famous “Zauner” pastry shop. There, we managed to get a table right by the river Traun.

We each ordered an ice cream sundae and a cappuccino.

The ice cream tasted phenomenal, and the coffee was excellent too. Zauner isn’t cheap, but the quality really convinced us. And the price wasn’t nearly as high as we had expected.

After this delicious break, we headed to the shopping street. After two weeks of pure nature, I was keen to go shopping again.

We visited two drugstores where we bought several things we needed – and many things we didn’t.

On the way, we also passed the original headquarters of the Zauner pastry shop, which has a long-standing tradition at that location. Still, I find the setting by the Traun much lovelier.

We wandered a bit more through the pretty alleyways of the old town, and then it was time for the next stage.

We continued on to Bad Aussee. Years ago, we had once driven through the town on our way to Lake Grundlsee. Back then, Bad Aussee had immediately charmed us, and we had planned to explore it on the way back – but a thunderstorm had thwarted our plans.

Bad Aussee is actually the exact geographical center of Austria, as marked by a commemorative plaque in the town center.

Now we finally wanted to visit this beautiful town.

Bad Aussee is also picturesquely located on the Traun and is known for its blend of culture, nature, and tradition.

We first walked along the riverbank and listened to the rushing water.

Then we strolled through the pretty lanes of this small town.

In the center, there is a beautiful park with a fish fountain that we especially liked.

Finally, we decided to take a quick detour to nearby Lake Altaussee.

We had never been there before and instantly fell in love with the lake.

It was already too late for a full walk around it, so we decided to come back another day.

Eventually, we headed back to the hotel, where, once again, we quickly drifted off into a deep and restful sleep.