Austria's Bad Ischl European Capital of Culture 2024, along with Tartu and Bodø

The Austrian town of Bad Ischl has been nominated by the Austrian government for the role of European Capital of Culture in 2024, a year in which, in addition to Austria, Estonia and Norway will also be in charge of hosting the capital: the two Nordic countries had already chosen Tartu (Estonia) and Bodø (Norway) in recent months. The latter, in particular, had beaten off competition from Bosnia’s Banja Luka and Mostar: in addition to Austria and Estonia, which are already members of the European Union, 2024 will in fact also see a city from a candidate, or potential candidate, country to join the EU as capital.

Bad Ischl, which beat out the two contenders Dornbirn and Sankt Pölten, is thus the third Austrian city, after Graz in 2003 and Linz in 2009, to become European Capital of Culture. But this time the recognition has a special flavor, because Bad Ischl has broken two records: it is the smallest town ever to boast the title (in fact, it has just 14,133 inhabitants), and it is the first mountain town to become European Capital of Culture.

The Austrian town, known for its elegant spas, is part of the Salzkammergut region, a mountainous area declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Bad Ischl is also famous because it was chosen as a summer residence by the imperial family in the mid-19th century. In fact, Bad Ischl is home to the Kaiservilla, the place of residence of Emperor Franz Joseph and his family, as well as the place where, on July 28, 1914, the emperor signed the declaration of war against Serbia, initiating World War I. Even today the Kaiservilla is owned by the Habsburgs, although much of it is open to the public and can be visited.

Pictured: view of Bad Ischl. Ph. Credit David MacGregor

Austria's Bad Ischl European Capital of Culture 2024, along with Tartu and Bodø

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