500 YEARS OF HOTEL POST EBENSEE

A journey through history

Hotel Post is the oldest and originally the only inn in Ebensee, looking back on a history of more than 500 years.

Originally, the tavern served to provide food and lodging for workers involved in the salt transport to Bad Ischl and Hallstatt, as well as for travelers and pilgrims on their way to St. Wolfgang. Its first location was directly on the lakeshore. However, in 1604 it had to make way for the construction of the first salt pan house and was therefore relocated to its current location in the center of Ebensee.

LEFT: Post and shipping station Ebensee–Ischl, circa 1850 (chromolithograph after Th. Breidwiser)
CENTER: Debris in front of Hotel Post around 1899 © ebensee.at
RIGHT: Gasthof zur Post, presumably the first Mass of Johann Huber (14 July 1911) – collection Johann Jocher

A Meeting Place for Celebrations and Community

For centuries, the “Post” was the setting for all major celebrations in Ebensee – from baptisms and weddings to memorial services. It was not until Ebensee was elevated to a vicariate in 1771 that many church-related occasions were moved to its own place of worship.

Numerous associations and regulars’ tables found their home here, including the Ebensee choral society Liederkränzchen, the chess club, Segelclub Ebensee, the bird catchers’ association, the orchestra of Musikfreunde Ebensee, the youth regulars’ table, the philatelists’ association and the SV football club.

 

The Emperor’s Room

The most significant room in the house is the historic Emperor’s Room. Over the centuries, many Austrian rulers stayed here during their journeys to Ebensee – often in connection with the revenues from salt trading, which represented an important part of the state finances.

Among the prominent guests were Rudolf II; Emperor Leopold I, who stayed at the Post in 1680; Emperor Charles VI in 1730; and Emperor Joseph II in 1779. Emperor Ferdinand I also visited the house several times, including in 1835 and 1837.

Emperor Franz Joseph was likewise a frequent guest – initially before his reign, in the years 1814, 1825, 1826 and 1832. Later, from 1848 onwards, his entourage used the Emperor’s Room, while he himself stayed at the hunting lodge at Lake Langbath for his hunting trips.
 

A House with History

For more than five centuries, the Post has been a place of hospitality, exchange and encounter. It stands for lived tradition, historical significance and a deep connection to the region.

LEFT: Postcard view of Hotel Post after 1911
CENTER: Aerial view of Ebensee around 1930
RIGHT: Hotel Post in the 1960s – the era of a flourishing tourism industry

Family-Owned Business in the Fifth Generation (20th Century to the Present Day)

Hotel Post has been owned by the Leitner family for several generations.

In 1934, the Post in Ebensee became a family-run establishment when Maria Gruber, the great-great-grandmother of the current owner, acquired the Gasthof zur Post at auction. Together with her daughter, she managed the business with great dedication before it was passed on in 1949 to her granddaughter Elfriede and her husband Fritz Leitner.

In 1982, their son Fritz and his wife Gerda took over responsibility for the hotel. For many decades, they shaped the house with commitment, warmth and genuine hospitality.

LEFT 1999: Major renovation of the guesthouse into what is now the Parkhotel
RIGHT 2012: Hotel Post with the former bowling alley in the center (BILLA from 1986 to 2010)

In 2013, Andreas Leitner and his wife Ivana stepped into the fifth generation. Today, Hotel Post Ebensee combines traditional charm with modern comfort, offering guests from all over the world a welcoming home away from home.

“With gratitude, we look back on the work, dedication and commitment of the past generations who laid the foundation for today’s hotel. It is thanks to them that tradition, warmth and quality have been preserved over so many decades.”

Andreas Leitner
Managing Director
Hotel Post Ebensee