Hallstatt, meaning ”place of salt”, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Austria’s Salzkammergut region and is home to the world’s oldest salt mine. It’s also a ridiculously popular place to take an Instagram photo. We spent one day in Hallstatt and learned there’s more to the town than its fairytale beauty.

Why is Hallstatt Famous?

The tiny village of Hallstatt is said to have received 10,000 tourists per day in 2019 before the onset of COVID. An entire replica of the town was even built in the Chinese province of Guangdong. So how does a town with less than 800 inhabitants become so popular amongst international travelers?

In 2006, a South Korean drama, Spring Waltz, featured the town as a filming location and inspired travelers to visit Hallstatt to recreate popular scenes. Then in 2010 came Disney’s Frozen – Hallstatt is commonly considered one of the inspirations for the fictional kingdom of Arendelle. The wide circulation of the ”postcard view” of Hallstatt through Microsoft screensavers and Instagram photos have also driven millions to want to check out Hallstatt’s beauty for themselves (including me).

How to get to Hallstatt

Hallstatt is best visited by car. Parking is convenient and there’s plenty to see outside of Hallstatt in the larger Salzkammergut region. We drove an hour and 20 minutes from the Kempinski Hotel in Berchtesgaden, Germany, where we were staying, to arrive in Hallstatt. **Note that if you are driving from Germany with German plates, you will need to pick up an Austrian vignette sticker from any German gas station to avoid fines.

Apx. drive times from popular locations:

• Salzburg – 1 hour and 20 minutes
• Vienna – 3 hours and 20 minutes
• Munich – 3 hours

It is also possible to take the train to Hallstatt from Salzburg (2-2.5 hours), Vienna (4 hours), or Munich (4+ hours); however, all require changing trains as there are no direct routes to Hallstatt from these cities. Links below for RailEurope train information:

• Salzburg – Click for trains from Salzburg to Hallstatt
• Vienna – Click for trains from Vienna to Hallstatt
• Munich – Click for trains from Munich to Hallstatt

What to do in Hallstatt

(1) Photo Tour

Since we were only in Hallstatt for the day, we arrived early and took a 2 hour photo walking tour. Our guide Edwin was local to the area and knowledgeable about the town’s history. He took photos of us throughout the tour – see below for 3 of them. You can book time with Edwin here.

(2) Catholic Church Ossuary

During the walking tour, we stopped at the Ossuary at the Catholic Church. The Ossuary houses the bones of deceased individuals who chose to be laid to rest there. The skulls are painted with their names, birth/death dates, and things that they enjoyed during their lives. While this experience may not be for everyone, I personally really enjoyed it. **Photos may not be taken in the Ossuary.

(3) Explore Old Town

Old Town Square in Hallstatt is charming. While our guide did not recommend eating there (or anywhere else in Hallstatt) it was fun to explore. We were there on a market day, so there were a number of fun salt / dessert / snack vendors to enjoy. **If you are looking for a good restaurant within 10 minutes of Hallstatt, Welterbe-Wirtshaus Steegwirt came highly recommended. For a fine dining experience a bit further away (apx. 40 min drive), check out Restaurant Bootshaus.

(4) Electric Boat

Make sure you get out on the water in Hallstatt! It costs €20 to rent an electric boat for 30 minutes. There are a handful of rental companies and none take advance reservations. You just walk down to the water and rent it on the spot. The boats are small and slow but provide a really fun way to take in the best view of Hallstatt.

Things We Did Not Do

Here are a couple of things we did not do in Hallstatt but were recommended to us if we come back and stay for a longer period of time:

• Visit the salt mines
• Ice cave
• Five Fingers lookout
• Skywalk
• Explore nearby lake towns in the Salzkammergut region that are less famous but just as beautiful! (Traunkirchen, Gmunden, Bad Ischl, etc.)

When to Visit Hallstatt

Hallstatt is beautiful year round! Summer is peak season, which means the highest amount of tourists. Tour buses typically arrive around 11 AM and depart around 4 PM, so visit outside those times to avoid the crowds.

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