Villa Seilern

Villa Seilern stands at the western edge of Bad Ischl’s Kurpark in Upper Austria. Built in 1881 by Wilhelm Pils for the widowed Countess Elisabeth Seilern, it was designed as a summer residence and quickly became a centre for concerts and theatre. The villa later hosted members of the imperial family, including Archduke Friedrich and Franz Ferdinand, before changing hands several times in the 20th century. Its symmetrical design centres on a grand neobarock façade with a large Allianzwappen above the second floor. The original plans survive in the Bad Ischl city building office. Inside, the historic section now houses a restaurant and seminar rooms, while a modern extension by Georg Scheicher adds a hotel lobby, winter garden and spa. The new wings deliberately avoid overshadowing the old villa, using lower heights and glass connectors to blend the two eras. Visitors walk up a broad flight of steps to the main entrance, where the countess’s coat of arms still marks the building’s heritage. Inside, the restaurant occupies the former reception rooms, and the spa wing opens onto landscaped grounds. The glass corridors link old and new without competing with the historic structure, offering views across the Kurpark.