Photo: C.Stadler/Bwag · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Hallstatt
The postcard lake village, a 7,000-year-old salt mine and a cliff-edge view.
A tiny lakeside village of wooden houses squeezed between a mountain and the Hallstätter See, with the world's oldest salt mine above it. Very busy from late morning in summer, so come early or stay the night. The Dachstein caves and the Five Fingers lookout across the lake need a cable car that costs more than most sights (check).
Places to see
- Hallstatt village and the classic viewWalk · A market square of painted houses, lanes and stairways climbing between wooden balconies,…Free
Bone House (Beinhaus)Sight · A small chapel beside the parish church holding hundreds of skulls stacked on shelves,…≈ A$4
Skywalk viewpoint (Welterbeblick)Viewpoint · A platform jutting out from the cliff 350 metres above the village, looking straight down…Free
When to go
- Jan2° / -4°Some rainQuiet
- Feb4° / -4°Some rainQuiet
- Mar8° / -1°Some rainQuiet
- Apr13° / 3°Some rainBusy
- May18° / 7°Often wetBusy
- Jun21° / 11°Often wetVery busy
- Jul23° / 13°Often wetVery busy
- Aug23° / 13°Often wetVery busy
- Sep
Staying and getting around
Good areas to stay
The village. The market square, the two churches and the lakeshore houses. Rooms here are few and dear; staying the night means seeing it empty.
Obertraun. The next village round the end of the lake, with cheaper rooms, a lakeside meadow and the cable car to the Dachstein caves.
Flying in
Salzburg (SZG): Bus into Salzburg, Postbus to Bad Ischl, then a bus to Hallstatt, about 2 h 50 min, ≈ A$35. Or by train from Salzburg via Attnang-Puchheim and the ferry; connections are few, so check times (check).
Flewaway's estimate for the usual budget way into Hallstatt; check times and fares before you fly.
Getting around
You can walk everywhere. A single ticket is ≈ A$6. The village is walked end to end in 15 minutes. The station is across the lake: a small ferry meets most trains (about 10 min, check). Many arrive by Postbus from Bad Ischl or Obertraun instead (check). Drones are banned.
Tourist tax
The local tax: usually about €2–3 a person a night, added at check-in; children usually don't pay (check).
