Hallstatt: A Mountain Retreat
Located in Austria's Beautiful Salzkammergut Lake District
This lovely village is striking in its natural setting and long history. Spend a day hiking, touring the salt mine and bone chapel, and relaxing at a comfortable inn.
On your drive from Salzburg to Vienna, overnight in the most picturesque village in Austria's Salzkammergut Lake District. Relax, take a stroll, and enjoy the scenery in this quaint and ancient town that looks and feels like an illustration from a fairytale book.
Hallstatt's tiny settlement, which takes only about 15 minutes to traverse on foot, is built into the mountainside and looks out across the tranquil lake. This mountain lake is home to graceful swans year round. In the snow, it is a winter wonderland. In summer, a sunny recreational retreat.
Hiking
A brisk hike zigzagging from the town's base up toward the salt mine is invigorating and revitalizing. A lookout platform along the hiking trail provides the best vantage point to view the village, the lake, and their surrounding mountains. Make sure to stick a camera in your pocket to take along with you on the hike.
Salt Mine
The salt mine is closed November through April, but during the warmer months you can either ride the funicular or hike to the mine for a tour. You'll don miner's clothes, explore the tunnels and caverns, and even have the opportunity to slide down the wooden banisters the miners used to travel from one level of tunnels to the other levels below. Archeological digs have yielded evidence suggesting that Hallstatt was settled and men were mining salt as far back as the Neolithic or Bronze Age, perhaps up to 7,000 years ago.
Bone Chapel
Hallstatt's Bone Chapel, called Beinhaus in German, dates back to the 12th century. It is the resting place for more than 600 skulls neatly stacked and painted with names, dates, and decorative garland, crosses and flowers. Because of limited space in the cemetery, bones were dug up after 12 years and many were placed in the Bone Chapel. This practice continued until 1960 when the Catholic Church began allowing cremation. It is humbling to stand quietly and gaze upon the remains of people who lived and were cared for so many years ago.
Bed and Breadfast
Braugasthof Hallstatt is a small bed and breakfast run by the Lobisser family. This charming house originally belonged to a salt miner and then became a brewery from 1504 until 1917. The family provides a scrumptious breakfast in their old-world style dining room, and staying at the pleasant inn takes you back in time. This accommodation is the perfect garnish to a day spent in one of Austria's most beautiful places.
