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Hallstatt

With pastel-coloured houses casting shimmering reflections onto the looking-glass lake and with lofty mountains rearing up on all sides, Hallstatt’s beauty borders on the surreal and the sublime. Boats glide tranquilly across the lake from the train station to the village, situated precariously on a narrow stretch 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.) The sheer volume of visitors here can be nerve-fraying, especially in summer, with a sea of cars, buses and tour groups descending.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Salzwelten
Hallstatt
The fascinating Salzbergwerk (salt mine) is situated high above Hallstatt on Salzberg (Salt Mountain) and is the lake's major cultural attraction. The…
Beinhaus
Hallstatt
This small ossuary contains rows of neatly stacked skulls, painted with decorative designs and the names of their former owners. Bones have been exhumed…
Weltkulturerbe Museum
Hallstatt
This multimedia museum has a strong focus on the region’s history of Iron Age/Celtic settlement and salt mining, taking you through 26 stations of…
Dachsteinsport Janu
Hallstatt
Celtic and Roman excavations can be seen downstairs in Dachsteinsport Janu, where there's a free exhibition that gets a little kitsch at times but…