One Day in Hallstatt - Our Travel Tips

Hallstatt is a UNESCO World Heritage site and attracts thousands of tourists to Austria every year. The once idyllic village on Lake Hallstatt has become famous for its fantastic location with the many mountains in the background. But what many visitors don’t know: Long before tourism, Hallstatt was known for its salt chambers. Hallstatt still has the world’s oldest salt mine, which you can visit.

Tips and sights in Hallstatt – a day at Lake Hallstatt

There is no doubt: Hallstatt is really beautiful and offers countless fantastic photo opportunities. The old half-timbered houses, the beautiful views, the Dachstein-Salzkammergut mountains right on the doorstep – Hallstatt has that certain something. No wonder it attracts a lot of visitors.

How to get to Hallstatt

There are several ways how you can get to Hallstatt. The simplest option is your own car. But the bus or train are other ways of getting to Hallstatt. You can only fly to Salzburg by airplane. See Skyscanner for connections.

You can reach Hallstatt by car either via the A10 from Munich/Salzburg, exit at Golling and then via the B166 to Hallstatt. Alternatively, you can take the A1 Autobahn, Salzburg-Vienna route. Here you leave at Regau, then continue via Gmunden to Hallstatt. A navigation system works great here by the way.

Information about parking in Hallstatt: Unfortunately, parking spaces in Hallstatt can become very scarce. There are several public parking spaces within the town. However, if you do not arrive very early in the morning, it is difficult to find a parking space. Lots of people use parking spaces outside the town on the roadside if they are just day visitors.

The Postbus runs daily from Salzburg main station to Hallstatt. In Bad Ischl you have to change once. The bus stops right in front of the train station, so you can also continue by train.

You can also travel by train, e.g. the western railway. This is a private train that connects Freilassing in Germany or Salzburg with Vienna. You can go to the Attnang-Puchheim station and change to the Salzkammergutbahn. This takes you to Lake Hallstatt, however to the other side. From here you can take the ferry across the lake to Hallstatt for about 15 minutes. You can find a good overview of the times and prices at our partner Omio.

Tip: If you stay in Salzburg, you can also take a day trip from there to Hallstatt.

Accommodation in Hallstatt – our hotel tip

The Heritage Hotel Hallstatt is located right in the heart of the Old Town and is spread over several historic buildings. These include the House Stocker, which is the oldest house in Hallstatt with over 400 years. The rooms all have a view of Lake Hallstatt and the Old Town.

Delicious Austrian cuisine is offered in Im Kainz, the hotel restaurant. Bar, sauna, winter garden and the individually furnished rooms contribute to a great stay in Hallstatt. More hotels in Hallstatt can be found here.

1. The famous photo of Hallstatt

This is Hallstatt’s most famous photo and one of the most popular viewpoints, whether in summer or winter. If you are lucky, not many people are on site at the time you’re visiting and you can enjoy the view calmly. Hallstatt, the church tower, Lake Hallstatt and the mountains behind – it just looks so idyllic.

The viewpoint for the famous photo of Hallstatt is located directly on Gosaumühlstraße and is also a popular place for the photo tours. To get there, you have to walk about 5 minutes from the market square in the Old Town, in a kind of northern direction along Lake Hallstatt. It cannot be missed and is simply a must.

2. The town square

The historic market square is one of the other highlights of Hallstatt after the viewpoint. Every visitor ends up here sooner or later, be it just for a stopover or to visit the restaurants, cafes and bars on the market square. There’s always something going on around the Trinity Column on the market square.

Events are also occasionally held on the market square in Hallstatt. There is e.g. a procession to Corpus Christi, a children’s day or the popular Christmas market, which takes place from December 8th.

3. A walk around Hallstatt

You can explore Hallstatt by foot on your own. But if you want to learn more about the history of the village, you can take a city tour. Every Monday and Saturday at 4.30 P.M. this tour starts at the Hallstatt tourist information. In about 75 minutes you will be told a lot about the city, price is € 8.

By the way: If you stay in Hallstatt, you will receive a guest card from the hotel. With this you can take part in the city tour for free and also get other discounts.

If you want to discover Hallstatt yourself, you can follow the path along Lake Hallstatt and pass the viewpoint, market square, the Salzkontor and some souvenir shops. There are many photo opportunities along the way and it’s easy to spend a few hours in Hallstatt.

4. Eating out in Hallstatt

In the Old Town of Hallstatt you will of course also find a lot of restaurants, some of which have a beautiful view of the lake. At least in summer they are very well-attended and offer great Austrian cuisine with Strudel, Schnitzel and much more.

Sure, the prices in Hallstatt are a bit more expensive due to the large number of tourists. But if you visit a good restaurant right on the lake (like the Maislinger or the Gasthof Simony), you shouldn’t be disappointed with the food.

5. Lake Hallstatt

Hallstatt is located on the western shore of Lake Hallstatt, which also borders on the communities of Obertraun and Bad Goisern. If you take a walk through Hallstatt, you will inevitably walk along the lake all the time.

But also outside of Hallstatt, e.g. you can often stop at the lake on the way to the Dachstein Krippenstein cable car. There is a little more peace and tranquility with also fantastic views of the mountain panorama and Hallstatt itself. You can also swim here in the lake if it is not too cold for you.

Lake Hallstatt is used by the surrounding communities for many things. Boating, swimming, diving or ice skating when the lake freezes over in winter. If there is too much going on in Hallstatt for yourself, look for a quiet spot along the lake and enjoy the tranquility within nature.

6. Taking a boat on Lake Hallstatt

Not only a walk along Lake Hallstatt is nice, but also a boat trip. There are several ways to do this. You can either take an organized boat tour or even rent your own boat. Prices start from € 8 for a rowboat or € 10 for a pedal and electric boat.

There are plenty of boat rentals along the lake, you don’t have to look far. A guided tour for approx. 30 minutes costs € 10 per person.

7. Hallstatt Skywalk

Another attraction if you can’t make it to the Dachstein Mountains (see last point) would be a trip to the Skywalk in Hallstatt. The Welterbeblick viewing platform is 360 meters above the village of Hallstatt.

To get to the Skywalk, you can either use the Salzbergbahn, which takes you to the mountain in a few minutes at a price of € 18, or go up in about 1 ½ hours on foot. The train runs daily from 9.00 A.M. to 4.30 P.M. The Skywalk does not cost any additional admission.

8. Salzwelten

With the same Salzbergbahn you can also get to the salt mines, which you can easily visit together with the Skywalk. The Salzwelten belongs to the oldest salt mine in the world and is fun for the whole family. Huge slides, guided tours, a ride on the mine train or the underground salt lake are just a few highlights.

If you want to save some money, you can also buy a combination ticket for the Salzbergbahn including the Salzwelten. You can find more information on the Salzkammergut website.

9. Excursion to the Dachstein Mountains

About 5 minutes by car from Hallstatt is the Dachstein Krippenstein cable car located, which takes you to the mountains of the Salzkammergut. For me this was definitely one of the highlights of Hallstatt, because here is also the 5 Fingers Viewpoint, from which you have a fantastic view of Lake Hallstatt, Hallstatt and the surrounding mountains.

You can find the summer and winter operating times on the Dachstein Salzkammergut website. The cable car goes up every three minutes on a total of three sections at a dizzying height. Tickets start from € 30 and are not cheap, but it is definitely worth it.

In addition to the hiking trails on the Dachstein Mountains, you can also discover the ice cave, mammoth cave or the Koppenbrüller Cave. For a short visit, it’s best to walk 15 minutes to the viewpoint. If you have more time, spend it here, because the beauty of the mountains is fantastic.

Hallstatt: Tours and tickets

Do you prefer to travel with a guide who knows the area very well? Then we recommend a guided tour with a local. This way you can get to know Hallstatt and its vicinity in a completely different way. GetYourGuide offers a wide selection of exciting tours for Hallstatt and its vicinity.

Have you ever been to Hallstatt or is it on your list? How do you like the little village? We look forward to your comment.