In the beginning there was salt
Salt has long been a valuable commodity. It was first harvested in the Salzkammergut about 7,000 years ago and has been making its mark on the region and its inhabitants ever since. It’s the oldest region in the world where salt has been produced continuously through to the present day.
The origins of the Salinen Austria company go back a long way, too. The saltworks business was officially established as early as 1449, when Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich III acquired ownership rights.
Since then, it has mined and refined salt in line with the “Made in Austria” motto – and with love and passion.
5000 BC – SALT HARVESTED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HALLSTATT
The thousands of years of successful salt production in the Salzkammergut region began in 5000 BC. In Hallstatt, now a World Heritage Site, salt was harvested using simple tools, such as picks made from deer antlers.
800 TO 400 BC – THE HALLSTATT PERIOD
Hallstatt became so important thanks to its salt mining activities that this World Heritage Site even has an historical era named after it: the Hallstatt period. The region’s salt-mining history can still be experienced close up today in Hallstatt’s Salzwelten visitor attraction, the oldest show mine in the world.
1100 TO 1300 – PRODUCTION OF EVAPORATED SALT BEGINS
The production of evaporated salt began in Austria with the introduction of salt-boiling pans.
1449 – ORIGINS OF SALINEN AUSTRIA
When Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich III acquired ownership rights to the saltworks in 1449 and the Salinen Austria company was officially established, Christopher Columbus had yet to discover America.
1595 – OUR BRINE PIPELINE, THE OLDEST IN THE WORLD
Back in 1595, a 40-kilometre brine pipeline was built of wood to transport the salt within the Salzkammergut region from Hallstatt to Ebensee. The brine pipeline still exists today, and, at over 400 years old, it’s the oldest pipeline in the world.
1903 – TABLE SALT IS PACKAGED FOR THE FIRST TIME
A major milestone in our history! Our table salt, known today as BAD ISCHLER Table Salt, was put into packages for the first time. It’s called table salt, because salt was such a precious commodity that it was only served at the Emperor’s table. Incidentally, it was still packed by hand until 1928.
1957 – THE BAD ISCHLER BRAND
The spa town of Bad Ischl is considered the gateway to the Salzkammergut region and was once a popular holiday destination for the imperial family. Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph I and his wife Empress Elisabeth, better known as Sisi, were particularly fond of spending the summer months in the town. The BAD ISCHLER brand also takes its name from this enchanting place. The brand first saw the light of day in 1957 under its original name BAD ISCHLER Gesundheitssalz (health salt). BAD ISCHLER is still known for the finest culinary salts today, and Austrian cuisine wouldn’t be the same without it.
2001 – PRECIOUS SALT FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM
A rare salt from the Alps: an exclusive, hand-harvested natural salt was marketed for the first time in 2001 under the name Bergkern Österreichisches Natursalz (natural Austrian rock salt from the heart of the mountain).
BAD ISCHLER – NOW BETTER THAN EVER
We’re proud of our thousands of years of tradition and passionate about continuing it into the future. The makeover of the BAD ISCHLER brand has put a modern twist on a cherished cultural heritage. From its logo and packaging through to its contents, BAD ISCHLER is now better than ever – fresh, straightforward and with mouth-watering new recipes and unique salt creations!
BAD ISCHLER is a brand name that has been used by Salinen Austria AG. Salinen Austria AG is an Austrian saltworks company with a local ownership structure and eight international subsidiaries across Europe. Salinen’s speciality salts are harvested, refined and packed in the Salzkammergut region.
WE’RE TAKING THE 7,000-YEAR TRADITION OF SALT MINING IN THE SALZKAMMERGUT INTO THE FUTURE!