Bad Ischl is a spa town in Austria. It lies in the southern part of Upper Austria, at the Traun River in the centre of the Salzkammergut region.
Kaiservilla
In 1854, the Emperor's mother, Archduchess Sophie, gave him the Kaiservilla (Imperial Villa) as a wedding present. The villa became the imperial family's summer residence; Franz Joseph described it as "Heaven on Earth".
In the Kaiservilla on 28 July 1914 Franz Joseph signed the declaration of war against the Kingdom of Serbia, signaling the start of World War I. He left Bad Ischl on the following day and never returned.
The villa is still owned by the Habsburg-Lorraine family, although the grounds and parts of the residence are now open to the public.
