Hallstatt Travel Guide
Settled In: Salt mine ruins & tools date back to 5,000 B.C. The influence of the Hallstatt salt mining and Celtic traditions led to a large period of pre-Roman time to be known as the Hallstatt Era.
Officially Founded: 1158 AD Population: 1,000
Suggested Stay: 1-2 Days
Hallstatt is a UNESCO World Heritage site and attracts thousands of tourists to Austria every year. The once idyllic village on Lake Hallstatt has become famous for its fantastic location with the many mountains in the surrounding area. But what many visitors don’t know: Long before tourism, Hallstatt was known for its salt mines. Hallstatt still has the world’s oldest salt mine, which you can visit and take home some salt for yourself.
Things to do...
1. "The Photo" of Hallstatt
This is the famous photo that everyone sees when they look at Hallstatt, and one of the most popular viewpoints. If you are lucky, it can a very quiet spot, so you can enjoy the view as long as you wish. Hallstatt, the church tower, Lake Hallstatt and the mountains behind – it really is breathtaking.
The viewpoint for the famous photo of Hallstatt is located directly on Gosaumühlstraße. To get there, you have to walk about 5-10 minutes from the market square, in a northern direction along Lake Hallstatt. Its very easy to find and should not be missed.
2. Eating out in Hallstatt
In the Old Town of Hallstatt you will find restaurants, some of which have a beautiful view of the lake. These will offer great Austrian cuisine with Strudel, Schnitzel and much more.
The prices in Hallstatt are a bit more expensive than you will be used to. But if you visit one of the restaurants right on the lake (Maislinger or the Gasthof Simony), you should be pretty happy with the food.
3. Lake Hallstatt
Lake Hallstatt, also borders Obertraun and Bad Goisern. If you take a walk through Hallstatt, you will inevitably find the lake, you can’t miss it to be honest.
Lake Hallstatt is used by the surrounding communities for many things. Boating, swimming, diving or ice skating when the lake freezes over in winter.
Walking along Lake Hallstatt is beautiful, but you can also take a boat trip. There are several ways to do this. You can either take a boat tour or even rent your own boat. Prices start from € 9 for a rowboat or € 11 for a pedal or electric boat. There are plenty of boat rentals along the lake, so you don’t have to look far. A guided tour costs € 11 per person for approx. 30 minutes.
4. Skywalk
Another attraction would be a trip to the Skywalk in Hallstatt. The Welterbeblick viewing platform is 360 meters above the village of Hallstatt. To get to the Skywalk, you can either use the Salzbergbahn funicular, which takes you up the mountain via funicular in a few minutes at a price of € 18, or go up in about 1 hour on foot. The train runs daily from 9.00 A.M. to 4.30 P.M. The Skywalk does not cost any additional admission.
5. Salzwelten
With the same Salzbergbahn funicular you can also get to the salt mines, which you can visit together with the Skywalk. The Salzwelten belongs to the oldest salt mine in the world. Huge slides, guided tours, a ride on the mine train or the underground salt lake are just a few highlights. The slides are really fun!! Book direct here
Accommodation...
The Heritage Hotel Hallstatt is located right in the Old Town and is spread over several historic buildings. These include the House Stocker, which is the oldest house in Hallstatt at over 400 years old. The rooms all have a view of Lake Hallstatt and the Old Town. Delicious Austrian cuisine is offered in the hotel restaurant. Bar, sauna, winter garden and the individually furnished rooms. More hotels in Hallstatt can be found here.
How to get to Hallstatt...
There are several ways how you can get to Hallstatt. The simplest option is your own car. But the bus or train are other ways of getting to Hallstatt. You can only fly to Salzburg by airplane. See Skyscanner for connections.
You can reach Hallstatt by car either via the A10 from Munich/Salzburg, exit at Golling and then via the B166 to Hallstatt. Alternatively, you can take the A1 Autobahn, Salzburg-Vienna route. Here you leave at Regau, then continue via Gmunden to Hallstatt. A sat nav or directions via your phone work great by the way.
Information about parking in Hallstatt: Unfortunately, parking spaces in Hallstatt can become very scarce. There are several public parking spaces within the town. However, if you do not arrive very early in the morning, it is difficult to find a parking space. Get there at 9am!
The Postbus runs daily from Salzburg main station to Hallstatt. In Bad Ischl you have to change once. The bus stops right in front of the train station, so you can also continue by train.
You can also travel by train, e.g. the western railway. This is a private train that connects Freilassing in Germany or Salzburg with Vienna. You can go to the Attnang-Puchheim station and change to the Salzkammergutbahn. This takes you to Lake Hallstatt, however to the other side. From here you can take the ferry across the lake to Hallstatt for about 15 minutes.
Tip: If you stay in Salzburg, you can also take a day trip from there to Hallstatt.
Hotels
Old town – Heritage Hotel
Town centre – Fenix Hall Boutique Hotel
Routes and Tickets
Book tours and day trips
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Have you ever been to Hallstatt or is it on your list? We look forward to your comment.
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