← Salzkammergut Marathon·1 night

Bad Ischl: One Night in the Spa Town

The start town of the race, an imperial summer residence and a flat riverside walk, with a guided villa visit on the Monday.

Duration1 night
TransitRegional bus from St Wolfgang via Strobl; check the timetable
DepartsSt Wolfgang

After the Salzkammergut Marathon: Bad Ischl

The Route: St Wolfgang → Bad Ischl → Salzburg Airport (SZG) Logistics: Regional bus from St Wolfgang via Strobl to Bad Ischl. One night in the town, then bus 150 towards Salzburg. Marathon Month: October Duration: 1 night

St Wolfgang ──(regional bus via Strobl)──> Bad Ischl
                                                │
Salzburg Airport (SZG) ◄──(bus 150, then bus 2)─┘

You started the Salzkammergut Marathon outside the Trinkhalle in Bad Ischl and finished in St Wolfgang, 40 or so kilometres later. Going back to the start town on the Monday takes the same road in reverse, on a bus.

October in Bad Ischl: the town sits at about 475 m in a valley and is cool and often wet. A rough October guide is about 4°C at night and 12°C by day. The tourist season is ending. The Kaiservilla's October hours were 10:00 to 16:00 with guided visits only, and some small attractions close at the end of the month.

On race day the organiser's voucher bus ran from St Wolfgang to Strobl and Bad Ischl, and on the Monday you need an ordinary regional bus. Check the timetable at salzkammergut.at before you set out, because Monday services differ from the race-day shuttle.

Night One: Bad Ischl

Bad Ischl was the summer residence of the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph, and his villa is the town's main sight. The Kaiservilla is open for guided visits only, about 45 minutes long, and the tourism listing gave October hours of 10:00 to 16:00. Hours change through the season, so confirm them with the operator. The guided tour moves slowly through rooms on a few levels, so ask about stairs.

The Lehárvilla, the composer Franz Lehár's former home, has guided visits Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00, with the last tour at 16:00. It is closed on a Monday, so keep it for a Tuesday if you extend your stay.

For a flat walk, follow the Esplanade beside the Traun river through the centre. It is paved and level, and benches are easy to find. The whole centre is compact enough for a slow circuit in an hour.

Stay at Villa Seilern, a hotel in Bad Ischl, and check availability and breakfast times for your date. Ask the Bad Ischl tourist office for other options in the centre. For coffee, the town's long-established confectioner Zauner is the usual stop. Check its hours on the day.

Getting to Salzburg Airport

Take bus 150 from Bad Ischl towards Salzburg Hauptbahnhof. It runs through St Gilgen, and the journey is long, so check the timetable and the journey time at salzburg-verkehr.at. From the main station, bus 2 takes about 23 minutes to Salzburg Airport (SZG) by the airport's published estimate.