Bad Ischl | A Prince and Princess's Fairytale, Perhaps Only in Fairytales

⛲️Bad Ischl, a small town far away in Austria, captured my heart because of a movie—*Sissi*, every girl's princess dream. "Bad" means "spa" in German, and "Ischl" is the name of the region, so together it means "the spa of Ischl." In 1827, Archduke Franz Karl and his wife Princess Sophie came here for recuperation and later had a son, the future Emperor Franz Joseph. Bad Ischl thus became famous as a royal spa and resort. 🌸In the scorching summer of 1853, the red thread of fate brought Franz Joseph and Princess Sissi together here. A grand engagement ceremony at the Hotel Austria opened their love story. As depicted in the movie, it must have been a beautiful summer day filled with flowers. 👗However, Princess Sissi's married life was not smooth sailing. After becoming Empress Elisabeth of Austria, her life with Franz was full of twists and turns and helplessness. But Bad Ischl has always been an important symbol of their love, bearing witness to that romantic and poignant history. 🧁Zauner Pastry Shop: One of the oldest pastry shops and cafes in Austria, it was a favorite of the Habsburg royal family. There are portraits of Princess Sissi and Franz Joseph here, and the shop sells chestnut cake, Swiss rolls, chocolates, and other desserts once exclusively for the royal family.