One may not have heard of Hallstatt, but most people would probably recognize it from the iconic photos of the town that has frequently popped up in lists of beautiful towns or places around the world. Located about 75 Km south-east of Salzburg in the Austrian Alps, it sits on the shores of Hallstätter See, the lake that shares its name.
Apart from being popular for it's scenic beauty, Hallstatt is also known for its Salt Mine (Salzwelten Hallstatt), and the panoramic views of the lake and town that are available on the way up to the mine entrance (The mine is up on the mountain behind the town). The tour of the mine was both educational and quite a lot of fun - it covered the historical significance of salt mining in the region, as well as the opportunity to slide down two slides that recreated how miners traveled between levels of the mine, and a ride on a little mining railway.
The view from the funicular up the mountain.
View of the historic section of Hallstatt and the lake beyond, from the mountain.
One of the buildings on the mountain. This housed a small restaurant/cafe.
A shot of the 'newer' section of Hallstatt.
Some of the presereved buildings at the Mine's entrance
Looking back towards the buildings where the Mine entrance was located. Viewed from the little cafe seen in the third photo of the article.
Broad view of Hallstätter See.
Looking towards the historic center of Hallstatt from the lake shore by the main car park.
Entering the historic center of Hallstatt.
The houses lining the shore of Hallstätter See.
The most iconic view of Hallstatt.
Hallstatt was our final stop in the Austrian segment of our trip, but it was also the highlight of that segment (In my opinion anyway). We spent half a day in Hallstatt, and departed southwards for Slovenia after.
-
Till the next time,
Raylen