Bad Aussee

Bad Aussee, Styria, town in the district of Liezen, chartered 1994, alt. 659 m, pop. 5,058, area 82.03 km², spa: medicinal brine bath and Kneipp therapy (therapy after the German priest Kneipp combining cold water treatment, diets and outdoor exercise), lies at the confluence of the 3 source rivers of the River Traun in the Ausseer Land region, economic and cultural centre of the Styrian part of the Salzkammergut lake district. District Commission, District Court, Employment Services, health and social insurance office for the province of Styria, office of the Economic Chamber, rehabilitation centre, hospital, thermal bath, hydropathic centre, Bundesoberstufengymnasium secondary school, commercial school (HAK); main income source is tourism (218,262 overnight stays), production of plaster boards, machines and upholstery fabrics; forestry enterprise of the Österreichische Bundesforste AG (Austrian Federal Forests); pre-historic finds in the Salzofenhöhle cave. The town began to flourish in the Middle Ages, when salt works started operating (late 13^th century). Raised to a market town in 1295, parish church of St. Paul (13^th century) in Romanesque and late Gothic styles with Gothic Madonna (around 1420) and sacrament house (1523), hospital church (erected before 1395) with 2 Gothic altar-pieces with movable wings (15^th century) and frescoes. Important buildings include the Kammerhof, which was built before 1200, and, until 1926, housed the salt administration. Today it is a cultural centre comprising museum, town library and games rental centre. Houses from the 15^th century form a harmonious ensemble, birthplace of A. Plochl, the wife of Archduke Johann; music festival (several weeks´ duration). Narcissus Festival (car corso displaying sculptures made from narcissus blossoms, accompanied by folk music) every spring during the narcissus blossom. West of Bad Aussee. mountains Zinkenkogel (1,830 m) and Hoher Sarstein (1,975 m).

Literature: M. Pollner, Das Salz-Kammergut, 1993.