Hallstatt - The Fairytale Lake Town in Austria

Hallstatt, located in the state of Upper Austria, is said to be the most photographed town in Europe and not without reason. With stunning lake and mountain views, the quaint traditional village never fails to charm tourists who come in large numbers from all over the world. Hallstatt is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has a number of things to see and do, all around the year. While Hallstatt can be seen in a single day, a longer stay will enable you to explore and discover more about this small but beautiful village. I have listed down some of the best things to see and do in Hallstatt and hopefully, this list will help make your visit to Hallstatt more organised and fun.

The Historic Market Square: Hallstatt's market square dates back to the 14th century and most of the little shops are located around this area. You can take your time, stroll around the lanes and enjoy the atmosphere. There are a number of shops selling wooden artefacts, natural soaps, traditional Austrian sweets and souvenirs.

World Heritage Museum: A small but interesting museum that tells the story of Halstatt, right from the Stone Age to the present day.

Salt Mines & Skywalk: The skywalk is located above the old town and gives a great view of the town and the lake. The best way to reach the top is via the funicular although you can hike as well. Once you are done enjoying the views and taking photographs, you can proceed to the Salt Mines. It is the oldest salt mine in the world and there is a lot of history and geological importance associated with the mine. Guided tours are available in English and German.

Hallstätter See (Lake Hallstatt) - The picture-perfect lake is definitely a highlight of Hallstatt. Surrounded by mountains and forming a beautiful background to the village, the serene lake looks pristine when seen from the shore. And when you get out on it (pedal boats, row boats and paddle boats are available for hire) it is even more beautiful. We rented one of the electric boats and followed the shore along Halstatt. It was very pleasant.

The Waldbachstrub Waterfalls: The Walbachstrub waterfall can be reached by foot from the centre of Hallstatt in around 1.5 hours. The trail begins near the parking lot and follows the river Waldbach. You will come across many waterfalls along the way. It is a good idea to ask for trail route/details at the Tourist Information office in Hallstatt.

Hallstatt's Churches: Hallstatt is home to a number of churches - the Lutheran Church (located directly in the heart of Hallstatt) and the Parish of the Assumption (located up the hill and offers a great view of the town) among the popular ones.

Also worth a mention is the Hallstatt Ossuary - the charnel house located in St. Michael’s Chapel. There are around 600 or so painted skulls located in the charnel house. Due to the limited space in the cemetery, existing graves were reused for new burials. And at such times, the graves were opened and the skull or bones were transferred to the charnel house where they were preserved by decorative paintings and marked with the family name.

Janu's Sports Shop (for archaeological excavations) - If you are looking to rent skiing equipment and clothing (ski jackets etc.) in Hallstatt, then Janu is the place to go to. However, many visitors come to this shop to look at the archaeological discoveries (some of them dating back to the Stone age) that were discovered during excavations done in the 1990s. The items that were discovered (salt mine forges, ceramics etc.) are displayed in the cellar of the shop.

As I mentioned earlier, Hallstatt is a very scenic village and just walking around the village without doing anything is also wonderful. The traditional village with its beautifully painted houses, the small shops and pristine lake views is not to be missed. Hallstatt is easily accessible from any part of Austria and welcomes visitors all year round.

I will leave you with some of my favourite photos from Hallstatt.

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