Hallstatt

Introducing Hallstatt

With pastel-coloured houses casting shimmering reflections onto the glassy waters of the lake and towering mountains on all sides, Hallstatt’s beauty alone would be enough to guarantee it fame. Boats chug tranquilly across the lake from the train station to the village, situated precariously on a narrow slate of land between mountain and shore. So small is the patch of land occupied by the village that its annual Corpus Christi procession takes place largely in small boats on the lake.

Salt in the hills above the town made it a centre of salt mining. The Hallstatt Period (800 to 400 BC) refers to the early Iron Age in Europe, named after the village and the Iron Age settlers and Celts who worked the salt mines here. Today the sheer volume of visitors can not only get annoying at times, but make finding a hotel room difficult in mid-summer. Consider staying in Obertraun, which retains its village feel.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009