Hallstatt is probably one of the most beautiful village in Europe. It represents a postcard-perfect town in a breath-taking mountain setting with pastel-coloured houses overlook a shimmering lake.

Most people visit Hallstatt as a day trip but we opted to stay longer so we can enjoy Hallstatt in a slower pace and also take a break after our hectic schedule in Prague and Vienna.

How to get to Hallstatt

If you’re travelling from Vienna to Hallstatt, you have several travel options. For travellers without car, you can take the train from Vienna to Hallstatt with a short transfer at Attnang Pucheim station followed by a Ferry to cross from Hallstatt Train Station. The ferry schedule is aligned to train schedule so there will always be a ferry waiting and you can buy the ticket onboard.

The train connection at Attnang Puchein was awfully short (11 minutes) which made me nervous as we were traveling with our suitcases and a toddler in tow. However it turned out I was worrying for nothing as Attnang Pucheim station is very small and there is an elevator. The whole process of moving platform to the connecting train only took us less than 5 minutes.

Hallstatt train station is very small and only consist of a booth. There is no luggage storage area.

The fastest way to travel from Vienna to Hallstatt is by car. You can rent a car or hired a private transport or alternatively take organised day trip from Vienna.

How to get around in Hallstatt

Hallstatt is very compact and you walk around the village. However if you carry suitcases and your accommodation is on the slope, you will need to order taxi service in advance.

Taxi companies in Hallstatt:
1. Taxi Hallstatt
Taxi Hotline: +43 (0) 664 44 33 674
Location: Hallstatt
E-Mail: aloisharringer@gmail.com
2. Taxi ”4242” in Bad Goisern on Lake Hallstatt
Taxi Hotline: +43 (0)6135 4242
E-Mail: office@taxi4242.at
Location: Bad Goisern on Lake Hallstatt (Hallstättersee)
Our offers: Airport transfer, Station transfer, Call bus, Hiking taxi, Excursions

We were staying in apartment near the salt mining, 1 km away from the jetty. The owner offered to pick us up which we gladly took.

What to do in Hallstatt

Do the Salt Mining Tour

Salzwelten Hallstatt is the oldest salt mine in the world. You feel the very breath of those far-distant times, as you roam the tunnels, stroke the roughly hewn rock walls with your hand and hurtle down the 64 meters-long miners’ slide. And last but not least in our cavalcade of superlatives: Amid the prehistoric tunnels, the oldest wooden staircase in Europe was discovered, used by people some 2800 years ago to carry “white gold” out of the mountain.

The tour duration is at least 3 hours. The funicular or Salzbergbahn will carry you quickly and comfortably up to the Hallstatt high valley, while the panorama lift will bring you in a matter of moments to a scenic bridge. From there, you will walk gently uphill for approximately 15 minutes until you come to the Knappenhaus entrance building. Now you will walk deep into the mountain. Once underground, you will explore for about 2 kilometers on foot. The mine train will then bring you back out into the daylight. There is an age restrictions for the tour: for children ages 4 and up and you need to wear warm clothing and sturdy shoes – the temperature inside the mountain is roughly 8° Celsius year-round, while the ground is very stony.

Hallstatt Skywalk

Have your camera at the ready for epic views from the Hallstatt Skywalk. You’ll hop on the Salzbergbahn/funicular for a short ride that takes you 838 metres up the mountain. Located in front of the picturesque Rudolf’s Tower, ‘World Heritage View’ is the nickname for the lookout platform.

If the funicular is closed, as it often is from early January, you can walk up to the Skywalk instead. However keep in mind that it can get extremely slippery when there’s ice on the path.

As you get off from the funicular, walk out for 12 metres onto the free-floating structure to the tip. Astounding, panoramic views of the lake, Alpine peaks and the village nestled into the hills completely surround you.

Tours of the famous Hallstatt Salt Mine also depart from here, however, check opening times as the site closes at scheduled times in winter.

From the bridge we walked to the other sides and the view are also beautiful with fall colors

There was a restaurant on the top so we ordered cappuccino. The cappuccino was too foamy but we let it go because the view up here made up for it.

We could stay longer but Alyssa wanted to eat and we left her food in the locker downstairs along with her stroller. So off we went back down with the Funicular.

We had incident when we wanted to open the locker where we store our stuff. Both of us forget where we kept the ticket. The souvenir shop guy had to make some calls and opened his manuals. I think we were the first customer who forgot where to put the key. Thank God he was able to open the locker even though we have to pay a hefty penalty fee.

Stroll the scenic streets

One of the best things to do in Hallstatt is simply take a stroll through the picturesque streets. The town is small and very walkable, but be prepared for many stairs and slopes if you want to get away from the crowds and explore the hilly backstreets.

Marktplatz is where you’ll find the giant Christmas tree if you come in December (it’s still up in January) , and you can venture up and into many of the back alleyways from there. You will find yourself snapping hundreds of pictures with your camera as you discover every picture-perfect corner of this fairytale town. Don’t forget to take a walk away from the town, along the waterfront promenade to get another perspective of the lakeside settlement too.

Take the postcard picture from Hallstatt View Point

After lunch we walked to up to see the other view of Hallstatt called Hallstatt view on the right side of the jetty.

Alyssa was sleeping when we were busy taking pictures at Hallstatt viewpoint but she woke up when we went down and passed by the lake

There is actually an attraction near Hallstatt which is called Dachstein. They have ice cave and a skywalk and you can take a bus to go there from Hallstatt. But after one week of walking everyday we decided to just do nothing and enjoy the beautiful Hallstatt while sipping our coffee and take pictures.