Hallstatt is a charming village in the Gmunden district of Upper Austria, situated between the southwestern lake shore of Lake Hallstatt (Hallstätter See) and the steep slopes of the Dachstein massif. It is found in the beautiful Salzkammergut area, running along the national road between Graz and Salzburg. Famous for its ancient salt mining, Hallstatt gave its name to the Hallstatt culture—a term for Proto-Celtic and Early Celtic cultures of the European Early Iron Age, c. 800 to 450 BC. The village is now at the center of the Hallstatt-

Dachstein/Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. With its overwhelming beauty and appeal, Hallstatt has become synonymous with overtourism. Hallstatt is renowned for its 16th-century Alpine chalets, steep streets filled with quaint cafés and specialty stores, and interesting attractions. Tourists can visit the ancient Salzwelten salt mine, reached via a funicular railway line, that offers an underground salt lake and the Skywalk Hallstatt viewing platform. A walking path for nature enthusiasts goes to the Echern Valley glacier garden, with glacial potholes and the beautiful Waldbachstrub Waterfall.

Hallstatt Skywalk

High atop 360-meter (1,181 feet) sea level, Hallstatt Skywalk features unsurpassed observation decks of Hallstatt, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lake Hallstatt, and the Dachstein Mountains. Reached by cable car, the platform takes one’s breath away with Alpine-wide views. Immediately adjacent, a restaurant located on an outdoor promenade provides ideal scenery to precede or follow your skywalking experience.

Hallstatt Museum

Due to its alpine charm, lakeside setting within the heart of the Austrian Alps and the fact that it has been largely continuously settled since Neolithic times, the picture-postcard Salzkammergut (Lake District) village of Hallstatt was UNESCO World Heritage site-listed in 1997. Graced with wooden chalets, a flower-bedecked main square and an 18th-century ossuary where skulls are ornamented with floral patterns, the village is thanks to its growth and prosperity from the salt mines first mined more than 7,000 years ago, the oldest known mines in the world. High above the village and reached by funicular, the mines can only be toured in summer but the Hallstatt Museum (Welterbemuseum Hallstatt) is open year-round to exhibit their history as well as the religious and cultural evolution of the area. The museum boasts a varied array of prehistoric tombs, Celtic animal statue, Roman pottery and brown bears’ skulls which were once found in the indigenous Austrian Alps but the unmissable highlight is the invaluable treasure of the Iron Age grave discovered near the mines and previously showcased in Vienna.

Salzburg Salt Mines

Below Austria’s Lake District’s glinting lakes and snow-covered mountains, the Salzburg salt mines (Salzbergwerk) stretch out like an underground map of mines and tunnels. Salt was mined from these ancient sites since the Bronze Age, but nowadays the famous Hallstatt and Berchtesgaden old salt mines have become tourist spots. There’s a glimpse of the region’s rich salt-mining history to be discovered, combined with playful activities like slides, train journeys, and boat cruises