"Hallstatt - Picturesque UNESCO village" Top 5 Page for this destination Hallstatt by ettiewyn

Hallstatt Travel Guide: 225 reviews and 719 photos

I had never really heard of Hallstatt, but when I was doing research for a possible daytrip from Salzburg, I saw a picture of it and was immediately sure that I wanted to go! And I did not regret it. It is an absolutely beautiful place, with a pleasant atmosphere, interesting sights and spectacular scenery and surroundings. And I say this although we have been there in terrible rain, it rained throughout the whole of the three hours we spend there! I can only imagine how wonderful it must be in sunshine.

As we spent only three hours here, of course it was not enough to really appreciate the place. But because Hallstatt is a very small place, it was sufficient to have a stroll around and see the main sights, and appreciate some of the great views.

Hallstatt

Hallstatt is a small village with a little more than 800 inhabitants and it is located at the foot of some huge mountains. It is a totally picturesque location, but of course it also poses many difficulties because there is only limited space and access is somewhat difficult. During the 19th century, you could only reach it by boat or by mountain trails! The houses at the shore were built so narrow that there was no space between them and you had to access them all from the attics, walking over all the attics to get to the other side of the village!
Because of the salt deposit in the area, people started to seddle here at around 5000 B.C. From 800 B.C. until 500 B.C. there was the Hallstatt culture, an advanced Iron Age civilisation that developed because of the salt mines and the trade and wealth that came with it. This is what made Hallstatt world-famous after remains of this culture were found in the 19th century!
Hallstatt got the UNESCO heriatage status in 1996 because of this outstanding history.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Beautiful, interesting and unique!
Cons:None I can see.
In a nutshell:"The pearl of Austria"

Last visit to Hallstatt: Jul 2010
Intro Updated Sep 22, 2011
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Reviews (12)

Walk around the alleys Things to Do (8)

Hallstatt is a very pretty village and it is just nice to stroll along the little alleys and have a look. There are a... more travel advice

Hallstätter See (lake) Things to Do (8)

Hallstatt lies at a beautiful lake, called Hallstätter See. The lake is and was used for fishing, but today a main use... more travel advice

St. Michaelskapelle, carnel & cemetary Things to Do (8)

Next to the church there is a beautiful cemetary. The graves are very small because at this location at the slopes of... more travel advice

Maria Himmelfahrt Things to Do (8)

Maria Himmelfahrt (Mary Ascension) is the catholic church of Hallstatt and the more famous one. It sits on a hill above... more travel advice

Restaurants (1)
Have a break at the marketplace!
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Travelogues (1)

Written Apr 2, 2011

7 photos

Impressions of Hallstatt

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Comments (8)

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Redang Aug 20, 2012 at 9:56 AM

I have that picture (the church by the lake) in my head I can't help remembering it over and over again........
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balhannah Dec 23, 2011 at 12:53 AM

Golly, I think I had a similar experience to you! Wet day, and less time to see things than you. Sorry I missed the carnel as it sounds very interesting! Like you, I still thought it was a beautiful spot!
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rexvaughan May 27, 2011 at 6:10 PM

Great page on this lovely little place. I like Hallstätter Marienalta piece especially (even the gold & squiggles). We had a chance to do a tour of the saltmine here and I suggest it for your next visit. Thanks.
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toonsarah Apr 10, 2011 at 12:01 PM

Beautiful photos - you prove that it isn't necessary to have sunshine in order to take great shots! That altar is stunning, and reminds me of the one I saw in Krakow last year. This seems a special place to visit and I really enjoyed reading your page :-)
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RoscoeGregg Apr 2, 2011 at 1:17 PM

This remonds me of the Pacific Northwest in the States and Canada. Great pictures I will need to add it to my list.
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kokoryko Mar 23, 2011 at 2:28 PM

Those people from the Hallstadt age chose a nice place to settle on the shores of the lake; good that salt preserved their remains! Nice page (beginning?) here, with nice pictures.
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IanMacPhail Mar 23, 2011 at 3:32 AM

What a lovely place, great photos! :-)
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nicolaitan Mar 22, 2011 at 1:34 PM

great photo - regret not getting here.