Austria. Media News.

Dear friends of Austria and fellow travelers,

We hope your summer is off to a good start and we thought we feature two Austrian "classics" this week: the Salzkammergut Lake District with exciting news for 2024, and one of Austria's beloved sons - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - and his time and traces in Vienna.

Bad Ischl and the Salzkammergut have been chosen as a European Capital of Culture for 2024, a move which highlights the incredible richness of cultural treasures in the region, as well as its 7000 years of history. A diverse program of projects and events promises to make 2024 the perfect time to explore.

Several museum highlights provide fascinating insights into the life of one of Austria's most famous musical prodigies: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Visit the Haus der Musik in Vienna to become more familiar with his music and work, and the Mozarthaus for details on his life and the era he lived in.

With warmest regards,
Sigrid Pichler

Manager of Public Relations
Austrian Tourist Office New York City
sigrid.pichler@austria.info
tel 212 575 7723 x 119

www.austria.info 

The Salzkammergut is an area of immense natural beauty and cultural significance that stretches from the city of Salzburg to the Dachstein massif in the south and the town of Gmunden in the north. Because of a history dating back seven millennia and the density of historic sites, the region has been chosen as European Cultural Capital 2024, with the town of Bad Ischl as its banner town.

The "European Capital of Culture" title has been awarded annually by the European Commission since 1985. The goal of the initiative is to highlight the cultural diversity of Europe and to build bridges between these different cultures by fostering mutual understanding. Chosen locations tend to benefit from a tourism perspective as well as from an image boost in the eyes of locals who rediscover a sense of pride in their hometown.

In the case of Bad Ischl and the Salzkammergut (as the Salzburg Lake District is known in German), there are over 23 municipalities involved in the project. The concept for the numerous activities planned for 2024 is based on two main elements that define the region: salt and water. They have shaped the region and the lives of its inhabitants for centuries. With this foundation, organizers developed four different programme branches: The Power of Tradition, Strength of Counterculture, Impact of (Hyper)Tourism and Flow for Retreat.

Bad Ischl, which used to be the summer vacation destination of most of the Imperial Court in Vienna, lies at the heart of the region and boasts many venues of grand historical and cultural significance, including the summer residence of Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I, the Kaiservilla. The region has acquired considerable wealth early on in its history through the mining of salt, which was exported to the rest of Europe. Mines in Hallstatt, Altaussee and Hallein allow visitors to learn about the history of salt mining, as well as the significance of the industry for the region.

The scenic beauty of the Salzkammergut, especially its 76 lakes, has inspired many famous musicians, painters and poets to take up residence there. The popularity of the region with the Viennese aristocracy has resulted in a wealth of architectural gems, especially in larger towns such as Bad Ischl, where the Lehar Villa and the Imperial Villa are particular highlights.

Visitors will not only find a wealth of high-quality accommodations and a fair number of gourmet restaurants, but numerous possibilities for wellness vacations and outdoor sports, both in summer and winter. With the city of Salzburg close by and other towns easily accessible via public transportation, the region is perfect for exploring a part of Austria that prides itself in its authenticity and the strength of its culture and traditions.

The next best thing to experiencing a live performance by your favorite musician is to discover for yourself the culture and surroundings that shaped their life and work. For Classical Music lovers, traveling to the place where a famous composer honed his talent is a hugely rewarding experience.

One such experience can be had in Vienna, where Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart lived after the break with his famous patron, the Archbishop of Salzburg. With his extraordinary talent and lively temperament, untethered and free, Mozart lived life to the fullest. Traces of the highlights of his life, his escapades and his troubles, survived through his work, the writings of his contemporaries, as well as the places he visited and lived at. The city of Vienna has spared no effort in preserving these sites, some of which have been turned into high-quality museums which tell a very detailed story of his life, his times and his music.

Should you decide to retrace Mozart’s footsteps through Vienna, your stay will surely include  a Mozart Opera at the Vienna State Opera, perhaps a concert at the Musikverein or perhaps even a recital at the Karlskirche or Peterskirche. To learn more about Mozart’s life, though, you can’t do better than visiting the Haus der Musik and the Mozarthaus in the Domgasse.

At the Mozarthaus, where the famous composer lived from 1784 to 1787, three floors are dedicated to exploring the great composer’s Vienna years, when he reached the peak of his creative achievement. You will also learn all about his life in 18th-century society, such as his affiliation with the freemasons, his friends and foes in Vienna, his womanizing, gambling, and habit of squandering large amounts of money.

The Haus der Musik, a museum dedicated to experiencing music in many different ways, has a very unique Mozart experience in store: In 1787 Mozart came up with the idea for a musical game (KV 516f.), which he dedicated to his student Franziska Jacquin. Judging by the sheet music, it was likely that Mozart intended to turn the name "Francisca" into a melody. Mozart wrote two bars of music for each letter of the alphabet, as well as two additional ones each as alternatives. One could combine them according to a complicated set of rules. At the Haus der Musik in Vienna, this musical game has been recreated as an interactive computer program called „NAmadeus“.

There are many more locations such as the St. Marx Cemetery, the Mozart Plane Tree by the Botanical Gardens, the Mozart Statue in the Burggarten, St. Stephen’s Cathedral where he married Constanze Weber, or Schönbrunn Palace where he performed for Empress Maria Theresia as a child prodigy, among many others. You could fill several days with all the locations Mozart touched during his lifetime, having stayed in 14 different apartments in Vienna alone. Just make sure to take some time to soak up the Viennese atmosphere, which we suspect still retains some of the quirks and peculiarities it also displayed during Mozart’s time. Linger over an Einspaenner at a local coffee house, visit a wine tavern and enjoy the numerous outdoor events during the spring and summer seasons. Most importantly, imagine the imperial splendor and cosmopolitan vibe of the city during Mozart’s time: something that is not that hard to do when you are surrounded by magnificent historic architecture in a city that lies in the heart of Europe.