Hallstatt…the city I never planned to visit but that took my breath away anyways. You see, I knew I wanted to visit Salzburg, Austria because of the Sound of Music…DUH. But I booked a long weekend in Salzburg and wanted to find nearby cities and towns to explore within a day’s trip. After some quick googling during my bus ride to Salzburg I decided I would try to make it to Hallstatt.
Getting There
There are a number of ways to get to Hallstatt from Salzburg and being the economical *cough cough* cheap person I am, I chose the cheapest route. Taking Bus 150 to Bad Ischl, then a train from Bad Ischl to Hallstatt railway station, and finally ferry across the lake to the village. All in total the journey took about 2.5 hours one way. When I hopped on that ferry and rounded the first corner…all of Hallstatt came into view and I was absolutely taken aback. I felt like I had happened upon a real life honest to god fairytale town.
Shopping & Wandering.
Now I fully recognize my perfect day may look a bit different than yours…but I’m going to share my day anyways. Once I hopped off the ferry, I truly just took time to wander around the main street in Hallstatt. It is a rather touristy town but the little shops along the main road are delightful and filled with fun trinkets and souvenirs to remember your trip by.
I picked up A LOT and I mean A LOT of soap for friends and family to give out as souvenirs. I ate schnitzel and fries at one of the waterfront restaurants. Then I continued walking down the main road. Eventually I found my way to an open park like area right on the water. The views from this park were spectacular. If you have time I recommend just sitting and soaking in the day….maybe eat your food there, read a book, enjoy the scenery around you. Just…breath.it.in.damnit!
Now after sitting awhile, you’re going to want to get going. You cannot miss the only real “activity” in Hallstatt a.k.a. the Hallstatt Salt Mine!
Because Hallstatt is so small you can pretty much walk the entire town and do everything there is to do in one day. I had no idea Hallstatt was home to a salt mine. But it turned out to be a major highlight. Honestly, I just went to Hallstatt because it looked cute as shit in pictures and was a designated UNESCO world heritage site.
Salzwelten Hallstatt
Turns out Hallstatt is home to the world’s oldest salt mine. I highly recommend taking the Salzberg funicular up the mountainside for breathtaking views. The funicular will bring you up to 838 meters above sea level in a matter of minutes. Then, you are free to take the salt mine tour. I’d recommend blocking about three hours total. If that’s not your style you can wander among the famous grave fields of the salt mine workers. You can even walk along the “Brine Pipeline Path”, next to the world’s oldest pipeline.
Before you head back down via funicular or hike (it’s up to you), don’t forget to check out the Hallstatt Skywalk. The skywalk is 360 meter high free floating viewing platform known for it’s panoramic views of the valley.
And that’s my perfect day in Hallstatt.
