Ebensee

Ebensee is located in Upper Austria, at the south end of Lake Traun (Traunsee) and has a population of about 8500. Linz is about 90km to the north. The nearest towns are Gmunden and Bad Ischl.

A dark point in its history was the placement of a Nazi concentration camp (codename "Zement"), part of the Mauthausen KZ network, in Ebensee. Thousands worked to their deaths to construct giant tunnels in the surrounding mountains. These tunnels were designed for moving Penemünde's rocket research into bomb-proof surroundings. The camp was liberated in May 1945 by American troops. The former site now hosts a museum, and the tunnels can be visited as a memorial to the thousands who died.

It is the primary production center for salt in Austria, with brine being delivered via pipeline from salt mines around the Salzkammergut. Historically, the site was chosen because of the rich forests, whose wood was used to cook the salt out of the brine. Although a former industrial center in the Salzkammergut, it has recently fallen on bad fortunes with the closure of some of the bigger factories.

The town is surrounded by picturesque lakes, namely the Traunsee, the Langbathsee and Offensee. While the Traunsee is large enough to be used for boating, the other two lakes are small lakes surrounded by mountains, and are used for bathing only. Both are protected natural areas. Another tourist attraction is a small skiing area on the Feuerkogel, with about 10 lifts.