Toward evening, after a day full of impressions and events, I again found myself in the spa resort of Bad Ischle. The city had already woken up, but there were almost no more people on the streets. On the already familiar road leading from the station to the center, I went looking for the legendary Zauner confectionery, which serves no less legendary Ishl cakes. Not to notice her was simply not possible. An elegant pink building and stylish tables at the entrance pleasantly pleased the eye.
Inside is a typical Viennese pastry shop with a century of history ... it’s even somehow not convenient to go in jeans and sneakers ... In the center of the large hall is a massive counter with all sorts of goodies that can drive any sweet tooth crazy. With the permission of the administrator, I take some photos and sit down at the table.
The purpose of my visit is to taste the Ishl cake! Now I will find out if he is so good, or is it another soap bubble of good PR. While waiting for the order I’ll tell you a little about Bad Ischl, CC, Zauner confectionery and chocolate cake. Let's start with the resort of Bad Ischl. A small provincial town, living through the sale of salt, was not born a well-known aristocratic resort, but became it in the 19th century thanks to the efforts of local doctors who discovered the amazing healing possibilities of the local mineral springs.
Well, after Bad Ischl’s waters cured Archduke Sophia of infertility in 1827, as a result of which the future emperor was born, there was no longer any need to advertise local baths. A diverse aristocratic people threw here in a friendly crowd, so it is not surprising that it was here among the mountains, forests, and ladies in crinolines that Emperor Franz Joseph met Elizabeth, who became Empress of CC. Their engagement was announced in Bad Ischl in 1853, and from 1875 to 1914 their official summer residence Kaiserville was located here (now owned by Archduke Mark Salvator). And here the composer Franz Lehar lived very fruitfully, who wrote 24 operettas in Bad Ischl. Now is the time to go to Ishl cakes and Zauner confectionery.
The first cafe, led by Viennese court pastry chef Johann Zauner, was opened in Bad Ischl almost 200 years ago (in 1821), and the second, where I am waiting for my order, was opened in 1832 (address: 32 Pfarrgasse). After the death of his father, the second son continued the business, who updated the cafe after the fire of 1869. By this time, the cafe was already called Zauner and was the most popular in the aristocratic Bad Ischl. The imperial family and other equally famous holidaymakers loved to be here.
I will not go into the details of matrimonial intricacies, I can only say that the person who is not a stranger to the Zauner family is confectioner Richard Kurt Zauner (husband of the adopted daughter of the last of the Zauners) in 1958 received a gold medal at the World Exhibition in Brussels for creating the recipe for the Ishl cake, which I now going to try. In fact, this is a small chocolate-dipped round cake about 8 cm in size. Inside there are two sand cakes with a layer of very delicate chocolate cream. The test score! Very tasty! It was not for nothing that a whole waltz was dedicated to them and for many years they have been included in all Austrian cookbooks!
And there is also our own adit (Zaunerstollen) invented in 1905 - a corrugated chocolate log made from crushed waffles, nougat and hazelnuts. But on him, as well as on a dozen other amazing pieces exhibited in the window, I already did not have enough health ...
The day was approaching six, and the waiters began to clean the chairs on the street ... I was born and raised in Germany, and therefore I know the Austrian-German daily routine - getting up early, and getting to bed at nine, but you can understand how in the tourist zone you can 18:00 to close such a popular coffee shop, I probably can never!
Leaving the cafe, I walked around the city, but, forgive me, the entire Austrian aristocracy, he did not touch me at all ... an ordinary small town ... pretty, but without any special undertakings ... I remember only the cake and the beautiful dark green jaguar road to the station ...
Having joined the next group of Chinese at the bus stop, I waited for 150 bus and, once again driving through the city, after an hour and a half of the journey I returned to evening Salzburg.
I walked a couple of hours along the daily route and, saying goodbye to this wonderful city, went to the hotel to collect my bags.
Tomorrow I will start on!