“Casino Keller” Cellar

The Casino Keller cellar is part of the history of the market town of Ischl.

The cellar is located in the rock behind the former café Cafe Casino, and can only be entered through the former inn.

This so-called Grieblkeller (a cellar in the Griebl district) is a  500-year-old natural cellar, with a total area of 380 square meters. Originally, the cellar was even larger, because it was connected with the neighboring cellars.

Due to the market law and the salt trade (which includes the goods that were exchanged for salt), storage room for those various goods for trade was rare but also important for the development and prosperity of the market.

The hand-dug cellar in stone conglomerate served as a large refrigerator for the citizens of Ischl, and especially for the Alt Ischler Bräu inn and brewery, because its temperature was/is always 10 to 12 degrees Celsius in summer and winter.

Most of the medieval cellar is still in its original condition. The cellar is also special because of its size. Its interior is so large that horse carts could easily enter into the cellar, go around the natural stone pillars, and exit. The stone slabs on the floor are made of Adnet marble and were initially in the Gothic parish church of Ischl. This fact is also interesting for the protection of historical monuments. Until 1908, the cellar was owned by the Ischl brewery.

The house is known as "Cafe Casino" and since 1971 the Schmalnauer family has been the owner. Bernhard Schmalnauer, today’s owner, is happy to guide you through the cellar and can share a lot of interesting facts with you. He also runs a little brewery.