Sightseeing

in Hallstatt

Famous sites

and treasures

of history

in and around

Hallstatt

Hallstatt is famous the world over. Naturally, it has a lot to offer. Many visitors have already heard of the World Heritage museum, the ossuary or of course the salt mines before they come here, having seen them on TV, the internet or from what their friends have said about them. Hardly surprising – a trip to Hallstatt is well worth it to see just one of its sights. But there’s more yet to Hallstatt beyond the great tourist attractors. We warmly recommend seeing a few of them, too. We have put together a short list of some well-known and some not so well-known tourist gems for your perfect Hallstatt sightseeing tour:

World Heritage museum

World Heritage Museum Hallstatt’s large collection features many cultural treasures unearthed in or near Hallstatt, artefacts that have informed the region’s culture and history for 7,000 years. The World Heritage museum’s various themed displays present Hallstatt’s history from its beginnings in the Neolithic to prehistoric salt mining to Celts and Romans.

Ossuary

St Michael’s chapel is a unique kind of monument to Hallstatt’s history: it is home to 600 artfully painted human skulls. This reliquary of global fame was originally born of the limited space available in Hallstatt’s cemetery. The people of Hallstatt decided to exhume the bones of their buried dead after ten to twenty years, adorning them with the deceased’s names and dates of birth and death before delivering them to their final resting place in the vaulted crypt beneath St Michael’s church.

Archaeological sites

The cellar beneath Janu’s sportswear shop in Hallstatt’s town centre takes you on a trip back in time. Excavation work for a building project in 1987 stumbled upon the artefacts of a long bygone era. On behalf of the Austrian Federal Monuments Office, archaeologists and students recovered a huge number of artefacts. The finds date back to various pre- and protohistoric times all the way up to the modern age, producing a stunning recount of 7,000 years of Hallstatt’s history. Today, the archaeology cellar covers a surface of 300 m². It is open to visitors free of charge during the shop’s opening hours.

Hallstatt Salzwelten

Take a trip back in time to the first millennium BCE and explore the secrets of Hallstatt’s salt mine. The unique subterranean world of the salt mine vividly brings to life the labours Hallstatt miners undertook in their quest for the ‘white gold’: The miles and miles of tunnels visitors can ride through on the pit railway were hewn into the mountain by hand. There are steep miners’ slides to take you down to the underground salt lake to see spectacular displays. The world’s oldest salt mine is also where the famous ‘Man in Salt’ was found in 1734. The man’s dead body rather dramatically demonstrates salt’s powers of preservation. Visit the breathtaking Hallstatt Salzwelten yourself – you’ll not regret it.

Hallstatt Skywalk

For a burst of pure adrenaline, check out the Skywalk observation deck on Hallstatt’s Salzberg mountain. Look down upon the roofs of Hallstatt from a height of 360 metres or let your gaze sweep across the unrivalled Dachstein panorama. The Skywalk is easy to reach by funicular. Unless you're keen on your exercise, in which case there’s a footpath to the top. From Hallstatt centre, it’s a walk of about one to one-and-a-half hours (uphill!). We recommend combining the observation deck with a visit to the Hallstatt Salzwelten salt mine.
Hallstatt
Paar in Hallstatt
Beinhaus
(c) OOE Tourismus, Wiesenhofer
Salzwelten
(c) Bergauer
Salzwelten
(c) Salzwelten
Handwerkshaus
(c) Christopher Unterberger

Insider tips in Hallstatt

For those holidaymakers who would prefer less bustle, we have 6 top secret tips right here:

1. Circular hike in romantic Echerntal

The Echerntal leaves the tourist mainstream and the bustle of Hallstatt behind, itself the World Heritage Site’s oasis of calm. About a 30-minute walk from the hotel (always following the Waldbach river), you’ll come across a wooden pavilion. Nicknamed ‘Babylon’, it marks the start of the Echerntal circular hike that will take you on a one-and-a-half hour walk. The themed hiking trail offers ample opportunity to snatch a moment of calm during your holiday and drink in the Echerntal vale’s outstanding natural beauty. Don’t let poor weather stop you from taking this route, either: on rainy days, meltwater flows down the mountainside to fill the moulins. And the moulins aren’t the only natural wonder the path takes you past. There’s also the famous Glacier Garden and an amazing waterfall...

Book your nature spree

2. A sunset for two

Navia Zillen shipping offers you the opportunity for a romantic escape – take a boat out onto Lake Hallstatt for a picnic of regional specialities and wine and share a romantic sunset. Our tip: Book a tour on a Zille punt as a secret gift to your partner!

Book package

3. One of Hallstatt’s loveliest picture points

If you’re looking for great photo motifs or just want to enjoy the wonderful landscape, you should try the hike to the Goaßerbankerl (also referred to as ‘beautiful view’). To get there, start off from Hallstatt’s Lahn district behind the P1 car park. Follow Pfannhausstiege up to the picturesque eighteenth-century calvary church and past that further up to the Goaßerbankerl. You’ll be treated to a truly stunning view across Lake Hallstatt and Obertraun. The 90-minute hike then takes you onwards along a romantic path and several hairpin bends up to the Hirschaualm cabin..

More about the hiking trail

4. Traditional crafts in Hallstatt's very heart

Stop by Hallstatt’s pottery workshop to watch pottery being hand-crafted by the staff and buy high-quality, unique items as souvenirs for home. The workshop in Hallstatt (Seelände 54) is open Mondays to Fridays from 8am till noon and from 1pm till 5pm, Saturdays from 10am till noon (November through March). There’s also a shop in Hallstatt (Wolfengasse 107), open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10am till 5pm (April through October).

5. Local produce on the weekly market

Every Tuesday, Hallstatt locals enjoy meeting up on Badeplatz square to buy fresh fish, bread, groceries, honey and more. Tourists are of course always welcome on the market, too. The weekly market is every Tuesday from 8am till 11am. 

6. Eastern shore hiking trail along Lake Hallstatt

The eastern shore trail connecting Steeg to Obertraun is especially popular among families. The entertaining hike is easy to manage and takes around three hours to finish. The great thing about it: it never gets boring! There are several bathing spots for taking a break and a dip. If you’re looking to grab a snack along the way, you can’t go wrong with the Seeraunzn Hallstattblick beer garden in Bad Goisern. You’ll be served regional delicacies here from May till late October. You can also easily combine the eastern shore hike with a train trip or a boat ride across Lake Hallstatt.

Book the ‘Wanderherbst’ autumn hiking package

If you’re up for even more, the Salzkammergut has a great many more day trip destinations in store only a few minutes’ drive away.
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