Hallstatt is a little town of breathtaking views located between Salzburg and Graz, in the Salzkammergut Lake District of Austria. Considered to be one of the oldest still inhabited settlement in Europe, Hallstatt is a UNESCO heritage site and an important Austrian tourist attraction.
The settlement gave the name to Hallstatt culture, a predominant Central European culture during the early Iron Age. An old cemetery was found in the little town which is said to date back to those times.
Also known as “the Pearl of Austria”, Hallstatt is truly spectacular, due to its “guardian of the Hallstättersee lake” status and the beautiful mountains surrounding it.
Half an hour is more than enough time to walk through this town from one side to another. This might also turn out to be a “must”, as cars are not allowed here from May to October, 10am to 5pm.
Hallstatt is also known for its World’s First Salt Mine and the stunning salt caves which can be visited by tourists. The ice caves are also fascinating.
When you get to Hallstatt, be sure not miss out on visiting the Cultural Heritage Museum and the Beinhaus (“Bone House”), in order to get familiarized with the history of the place.
There are many things to do in Hallstatt and we will only name a few: boating, hiking, surfing, visiting the salt mines and the ice caves. During the summer, FKK nude beach is very popular.
Getting there is possible by train. (From the main line between Salzburg and Vienna, get off at Attnang-Puchheim. Take a train from here towards Bad Ischl and Obertraun. The Hallstatt station is south of Bad Ischl and one stop north of Obertraun; it is on the east bank of the Hallstättersee (Hallstatt Lake) and consist of just a boat dock next to the tracks.
A regular ferry service will meet each arriving train and take you to the town across the lake. One of the best views of Hallstatt is from this ferry ride across the lake, especially in the morning when the sun is shining on the town.
20 Comments
Janice Rekate
December 15, 2010 at 11:24 amI was in this beautiful town of Hallstatt, Austria last week and purchased a wonderful picture of the winter scene called Hallstatt in winter, the one with the boat coming into the town dock and the big steeple of the Evangelical church, lots of snow on rooftops, etc. I was so distraught to find the picture got ruined in my suitcase. Can I order another one from you? Its size is 11 1/2 by 16 3/8. I so want this picture to hang in my home as a constant reminder to what a glorious little village this is. I would really appreciate getting another copy and will call you with my credit card number if you are able to send it. Thank you so much. Jan Rekate
Lavinia
December 15, 2010 at 1:52 pm@Janice, sorry, but we do not sell the pictures. You could try getting a hold of the owner and print it at his(her) approval.
Gayla Lovetinsky
December 19, 2010 at 1:17 pmhey, good job dude. you are making nice job for me to refer it. It is awesome… thanks
Carol
April 27, 2011 at 9:22 pmHi, I’m going to Hallstatt in Sept this year. Would anyone know about the ferry schedule? I’ll have to leave Hallstatt early morning to catch a train to Bled, Slovenia, really not sure if there is a ferry to take me to the train by 9:15AM.
Lavinia
April 28, 2011 at 8:12 amCarol, try to find the information you need on this forum.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g190427-i9621-k1853788-l11354757-First_Boat_From_Hallstatt_to_Train_Station-Hallstatt_Upper_Austria.html
kaushuk a.sejpal
July 19, 2011 at 5:30 amOne the best,beutiful lake town in the world. I have no more word to express this beautiful town. If you want to see hevan ” I say see this town .”
the sail
December 6, 2011 at 7:59 amYour post is useful to me. I found your site through Yahoo. Thanks for everything.
Miruna
September 30, 2012 at 10:14 amLovely town!
Kristian
August 3, 2013 at 11:09 pmNice post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed!
Very useful info particularly the last part 🙂 I care for such
info much. I was looking for this particular info for a very long time.
Thank you and best of luck.
Anne
June 3, 2014 at 6:11 amHas anyone ever spent Christmas here in Hallstatt, I’m thinking of renting a place possibly for 3 days there will be 10 of us.
Anne from Australia
Lavinia
June 21, 2014 at 9:34 amAnne,
The winter season around Hallstatt and the Dachstein Salzkammergut region is said to be really interesting and dynamic.
Here is more information about the activities: http://www.hallstatt.net/about-hallstatt/winterzeit-en-US/
Christmas in Hallstatt with friends and family is very… fairytale-like, so in our opinion, you should definitely consider it.
Ayesha
July 11, 2014 at 12:44 aml ve been to many places in Europe,but this place looks extraordinarily beautiful. I wish I could ever visit this place…
Aziz
July 27, 2015 at 3:28 pmIf you want to spend crisxmas go to hearetage hotel in the lake side
Vincent B.A. Odipo
August 30, 2015 at 10:18 pmI would like to frequently visit the most beautiful, and amazing Lake Town of Austria during the four distinct seasons of Winter, Spring, Summer & Autumn; then also link its hospitality to Kenya, respectively East- and Central Africa Regions for posterity*
Jess
September 29, 2015 at 10:59 pmWe plan on visiting Hallstatt soon. Any recommendations for traveling to this area with our 6 month old baby?
admin
September 30, 2015 at 11:01 pmHello, Jess!
It would be great if you can go up on the Five fingers platform, although it will be difficult in the winter, especially with your little child. The village is beautiful and there are lots of small details to discover. We don’t know if the boats are functioning in this period, but a trip on the lake would be a nice experience. Have a great moment in Hallstatt!
Anonymous
February 21, 2016 at 3:04 pmI want to visit this nice place Hallstatt in coming September 2016, would you please favor with your views regarding my visiting time. Also request you to please advise me how many days I should stay there. I got interest on scenic beauties and cultural life of the inhabitants.
admin
February 21, 2016 at 8:30 pmHello there!
September is a good month to visit Hallstatt. Starting with October, the weather becomes more unstable.
There are glaciers and high peaks around, so you will have great views, especially if you will go to the Five Fingers Platform. This is a skywalk built at around 1800 meters high with an amazing view of the lake Hallstatt and the glaciers.
We have stayed in Hallstatt five days. We think that is enough time to enjoy the little village.
Have a great trip and maybe you will give us a feedback about how it went.
All the best!
L.J.
April 24, 2018 at 6:10 pmWe want to drive there from Vienna and wonder about parking? Our visit will be in the middle of October. What can we expect for weather?
Thank You
Tudor
May 4, 2018 at 1:13 pmYou will not have problems with parking there. The weather will get a bit cold but the area will look nice anyway and the trees will be multi-colored. Hope you will spend a fantastic time there. All the best!