Hallstatt is a fantastic destination at any time of the year. An alpine village straight out of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. It is a small urban center swirling between high mountains and whose houses of fantasy are duplicated when reflected in the calm waters of the neighboring lake, also called Hallstatt. As we say, it is ideal all year round, but even more so with the arrival of snow in the alpine mountains.
Estampa invernal de Hallstatt. © Osterrieich Advertising – Popp Hackner
On other occasions we have already proposed trips to Austria. And even this country with its intense cultural programming is usually a regular in our highlights. And now we return to these lands of Central Europe to tell you about one of the most beautiful villages in the world. So Hallstatt appears in any of the many rankings made by specialized travel publications. And what is more important today: it is one of the most “instagrammed” towns on the planet.
A journey to the heart of the Alps
The truth is that nowadays it is relatively easy to reach Hallstatt. Either from one of the nearby ski resorts or even from that marvel of art, music and aesthetics that is the city of Salzburg. But it wasn’t always that way. Practically until the beginning of the 20th century it was only possible to get here by walking along mountain trails or sailing from other lakeside towns.
View of Hallstatt from the other side of the lake
However, although today the road reaches the town, the truth is that it remains in its immediate vicinity. In fact, road traffic for tourists is strictly prohibited by Hallstatt. Besides that there are alleys, stairs and slopes that make it impossible. So you have to walk to discover it. But even for the most comfortable, a walk through these streets is a delight.
The first glimpse of Hallstatt
The sensations of this walk could not start better, because soon after leaving the vehicle in the parking lots provided for this purpose, you will reach a fantastic viewpoint over Hallsttat. Take your camera’s memory card empty, because already at this first stop you will take countless pictures of this idyllic panorama: Hallstatt with its houses and steeples reflected in the water.
Pasear por Hallsatt es un placer. © Of. Dachstein-Salzkammergut – Edwin Husic
No matter what the ambient light is. If the sun is shining, the picture of the mountains enveloping the town is beautiful. If it’s foggy, the lighting effects can be magical. And if it is cloudy, the threat of a storm gives the place an admirable and almost overwhelming epic aspect.
Once inside the town
The size of Hallstatt is small. The inhabitants of this little Austrian village do not reach a thousand. But you have to add the tourists, those who make day trips and those who stay here several nights to discover the surroundings calmly, of which we will tell you more later.
But the core itself is easily covered in a few hours. And it would take even less time if you didn’t make such long stops at each of its attractions. We’ve already warned you that you’ll be taking pictures and more pictures. For example, in the Marktplatz, the main square where both its central fountain and the flowers and climbing plants that protect the facades of the houses attract attention.
La Markplatz o plaza del Mercado de Hallstatt © Of. Dachstein-Salzkammergut – Viorel Montenau
And once there, it is impossible not to go to the bell tower of the Lutheran church on the banks of the lake. By the way, shores that you can then walk along the SeeStrasse. While another possible direction is to take the stairs to the Pfarrkirche, the Catholic church of medieval origins and now looks splendid after being restored. This temple is the most beautiful thing in Hallstatt, for its architecture and for the romantic cemetery that surrounds it.
The land of this cemetery is scarce, given the steepness of the hillside. So that for centuries, the burial place has been recycled, since after a few years, the bodies of the deceased were disinterred, to make way for the new deceased. That is the explanation of the ossuary next to the church. An ossuary where the attention is drawn to the numerous skulls preserved in which the names of the dead are read and there are even some that show drawings and symbols.
Skulls from the ossuary © Of. Dachstein-Salzkammergut – Edwin Husic
For a longer stay in Hallstatt
The vast majority of tourists end their visit to Hallstatt with this tour and looking for another of the viewpoints over the town. But our advice is to look for a room in one of its charming hotels and enjoy the sunset in the mountains.
Skywalk Plataforma World Heritage View © Of. Dachstein-Salzkammergut – Mirja Geh
Not only to see how the sun sets, but also to enjoy the rest of Hallstatt’s jewels the next day. To begin with its salt mines, which can be climbed either on foot or with a cogwheel train that saves the steep slope. And you should know that you are not visiting just any mine, these are the oldest salt mines in the world, seven millennia old.
Visit to the interior of the mine © Of. Dachstein-Salzkammergut – Salzwelten
In fact, the reason for Hallstatt’s existence was these very old mines. An exploitation that shaped a whole landscape that we can enjoy from the platform area of the Skywalk Welterbeblick. A dizzying attraction over the lake and its surroundings. Whoever dares should look out to contemplate the panorama. And while you’re at it, look for a 400-year-old wooden pipe in the woods. The salt from the mine was transported through it to Ebensee, some 40 kilometers away.
Lake Hallstatt in winter Who’s up for it? © Of. Dachstein-Salzkammergut – Viorel Montenau
Looking out over this platform is the best way to understand why UNESCO declared the Hallstatt-Dachstein landscape as a World Heritage Site. A place full of natural beauty and remains of a very long history that deserves an unhurried getaway, and even better at this time of the year. Without the crowds that occur in other months and with the magic that the white snow always gives the Alps.
