The Lehar Villa stands on the banks of the river Traun and is located just five hundred metres from the main railway station in the famous Austrian spa resort of Bad Ischl. The famous Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehar, author of many operettas, lived here for several decades.
It was in the town of Bad Ischl in 1903 that Lehar met the love of his life - Sofia Paschkis. The villa itself was acquired by the composer only nine years later - in 1912, it had previously belonged to the Duchess von Sabran. Interestingly, Lehár bought this villa solely because it was located next door to the house of his beloved Sophia, who was already married, and so for a long time they could not legalise their relationship. From 1912 this villa served as the summer residence of Lehar himself and later his wife Sofia.
The building itself stands on the bank of the river and is a small three-storey structure decorated with an elegant triangular pediment. In the will of Lehar, who died in Ischl in 1948, his villa was given to the town. The villa is now home to a museum of the famous composer, with antique furniture, clocks, paintings, sculptures, other decorative arts and various antiques. The former home of Sofia Paschkis is also now a museum called the Heimatmuseum or Alt-Ischl (Old Ischl). Various works of art, antiquities and other curious rarities are also on display here.
It was when Lehár stayed in his villa in Ischl that he created his most successful musical works. The composer himself said that brilliant ideas always came to him in Ischl. Here Legare developed the following works: "Count Luxembourg", "Eva", "Paganini", "Tsarevich", his last operetta "Giuditta" and, of course, the famous "The Merry Widow". The scores of some parts are still on display at the museum today.
