Video transcript
Bad Ischl lies in the center of the Salzkammergut. It's a spa town, and was also being one of the biggest spots for stolen Nazi art during World War II. And it was a summer refuge of the Hapsburg emperor.
Hannah Hummel, Euromaxx Reporter: "My first stop here is the Kaiservilla, or Emperor’s Villa."
Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth, better known as Sisi, spent a lot of time here.
Hannah Hummel: "I mean, it is a beautiful view and it would be even nicer if it wasn't this cloudy because you can just see the tips of the mountains up there still covered in snow. Gorgeous. A lot of history went down in this room. the desk where Franz Josef signed the declaration of war to Serbia in 1914. This ultimately lead to the First World War."
Franz Joseph loved to hunt ... and the walls of this villa are covered in his 'trophies.'
The villa is still owned by Habsburg descendants, who actually live in half of the house, while the other half and the garden are open to visitors.
Hannah Hummel: "And whilst we're on the topic of royalty, it's time for a visit to the Zauner Confectionary. This is one of the few places allowed to sell sweets to the Imperial Court. So this is the famous Zauner Stollen, which is actually a huge slab of chocolate, but we're just getting a couple of slices to try. Oh, that's so good. But yeah, that one slice is definitely going to be enough. That's so rich."
It's a praline based sweet treat that Empress Sissi herself used to eat.
Time to explore some of the cultural exhibitions on offer here while being a European cultural capital. The town has made a point of repurposing old spaces that were more or less unused, and is giving them new life this year.
Which is exactly what they've done with this old factory.
Hannah Hummel: "This huge factory used to be where a lot of the salt in the region was produced, and now the empty space is being repurposed as a huge exhibition hall."
The theme is, fittingly, salt. Artists from all over the world have their works on display here. This piece, by a Japanese artist, is made up of six tonnes of salt.
Hannah Hummel: "If you look at it long enough and you let your eyes on focus, it does get a little bit trippy."
You can even give it a go yourself, and it's not as easy as you might think!
The different exhibits use variations of salt to create works of art that focus on the impact of humankind on nature, the aim: creating awareness around sustainability.
Before my day here in the region draws to a close, I have one last stop.
Hannah Hummel: "This is my final stop of the day. It's a castle, but it's also a brewery celebrating the launch of a beer that was designed in collaboration with a Nigerian artist. Sounds pretty cool, right? Let's go check it out."
Pop up events like this one will be commonfare throughout the year.
Nigerian artist Emeka Ogboh incorporates culinary experiences into his art, and he collaborated with the Eggenberg brewery here near Bad Ischl to create a signature beer called Ändas, aka different, for the region's cultural capital status.
Hannah Hummel: "Honestly, the Salzkammergut is really living up to its cultural capital status. I'd seriously recommend it. Definitely worth a visit. Cheers."