Looking at pictures of Hallstatt in Austria, you might think it’s a village straight out of a fairy tale. Located on the shore of a lake and surrounded by mountains, Hallstatt is beautiful in every season – whether covered in snow, painted with autumn colors, or warmed up by sunlight and summer greenery.
You can take a walk around the village and take a funicular up to a lookout with stunning views. Visit the oldest salt mine in the world or take a boat tour across the lake. We visited this little town in summer as a side trip from Salzburg. In this post, we would like to share how to visit Hallstatt – a fairy tale village in Austria – in just one day.
How to get to Hallstatt
Hallstatt is located in Austria’s mountainous region, between two major cities – Salzburg and Gratz. It’s a 1-1.5hr drive from Salzburg and 2-2.5hr drive from Gratz, making Hallstatt a perfect one day trip from either city.
During our visit, we have stayed in Salzburg and simply rented a car to take a few trips from there. See my other post on 5 Best one-day trips from Salzburg.
Alternatively, if you’d rather not drive, you can take a train to either Hallstatt Bahnhof or Obertraun Dachsteinhöhlen Bahnhof. From the station, take a ferry to the Hallstatt town center.
If you’re travelling by car, keep in mind that Hallstatt is a small village with limited parking within the town itself. I’d recommend arriving early to avoid parking outside the town. We have parked at Hallstatt Parking P2 (Kohlstattweg, 4830 Hallstatt, Austria), but you can simply follow the parking signs once you enter Hallstatt.
Hallstatt Salzwelten (Salt Mine)
Historically, Hallstatt was known for its salt mines. Salt production at Hallstatt’s Salzwelten dates back to prehistoric times, making it the oldest salt mine in the world.
You can take a tour of Salzwelten if you are visiting outside of winter times (the mine is closed during the colder months).
To reach the salt mine, take the Salzbergbahn funicular (Salt Mine Railway). The entrance is located next to the car park (if you parked at Parking P2). A round trip ride on the funicular is included into your salt mine ticket.
Check the Salzwelten website for current prices and opening hours.
Salzbergbahn funicular and Skywalk Lookout
We didn’t visit the salt mine but wanted to take the funicular to the Skywalk Lookout high above the village.
You can buy a ‘funicular only’ ticket (no need to purchase the Salzwelten tour) at the Salt Mine visitor center, where the funicular begins its ascent to the top.
The ride takes less than 5 minutes. Just follow the signs to the Skywalk viewing platform to admire unforgettable views of Hallstatt down below, the lake and mountains before you.
Allow about 30 to 60 minutes for the round trip on the funicular and time spent at the Skywalk Lookout taking in the views.
Take a Walk Along Hallstatt Lake
After admiring Hallstatt and its surroundings from above, take a closer look at the village itself. Head towards Hallstatt Lake and take a walk along the town’s main street.
You’ll notice that Hallstatt’s residential are stacked along the mountain slopes, one above the other. With little land between the lake and the mountains, residents had to use the space wisely. Until the 19th century, it wasn’t even possible to reach the town by road.
Enjoy views of the lake and treat yourself to an ice cream if you’re visiting in warm season. Stop by a souvenir shops along the way or sit down for a meal at one of the waterfront cafes.
Hallstatt Marktplatz
Strolling down Seestrasse, we reached the central square of Hallstatt – Marktplatz. It’s a small but lovely spot in the heart of town, surrounded by charming, neat houses with blooming flowers on their balconies in summer.
It was a hot summer day, so we took a short break in the shade at Marktplatz. The square features the Holy Trinity fountain in the middle, a few benches, and traditional Austrian houses to rest your eyes on.
There is a city museum just before the Marktplatz at Seestrasse 56. You can visit it to learn about the town’s history and its surrounding region.
Across the Seestrasse from the museum sits the Janu sports shop. Interestingly, this shop houses a small archaeological site beneath it. The archaeological remains were discovered during construction and are now on display in the shop basement (and access is free!).
Hallstatt Viewpoint
From Marktplatz, continue walking uphill towards Hallstatt’s classic village viewpoint – the spot where so many postcard-perfect photos are taken, including the one at the top of this post.
Please be a mindful visitor and don’t trespass on private property. We saw quite a few tourists stepping onto private porches, staircases, and piers just to get a better photo.
Beinhaus
On the way back from the photo viewpoint, make a stop at a slightly spooky but fascinating spot – the Beinhaus (Bone House), sitting within Hallstatt’s historic cemetery. The Beinhaus is a small room with a striking collection of human bones and painted skulls.
As I mentioned earlier, Hallstatt historically had a shortage of land, which meant limited space for burials. When town cemetery filled up, earlier remains were exhumed, their bones and skulls cleaned and moved to the ossuary (Beinhaus) for storage. Thereby freeing up the space for new burials.
If you are hesitant of entering Beinhaus, you can still walk up to the cemetery. If not for historical sightseeing, but for a nice view over the town and lake.
5 Fingers Lookout
We wrapped up our afternoon in Hallstatt and, rather than heading straight back to Salzburg, decided to take a short detour to lookout high in the Alps – the 5 Fingers Lookout.
Although, it’s not located within Hallstatt village, it’s only a 20 minutes drive from there. It has spectacular views over Hallstatt Lake and the surrounding mountains.
The 5 Fingers Lookout (named after its five viewing platforms) is located high in the mountains, around 400 meters above the ground.
From Obertraun, you can take a cable car that takes you up into the mountains, and then take a short walk to the lookout itself.
To read more about the 5 Fingers Lookout, see the ‘Trip 2’ section of my 5 Best one-day trips from Salzburg post.
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What a stunningly beautiful place! You’re right – it looks like something from a fairy tale. The views from the 5 Fingers Lookout are incredible. I’ve never been to Austria but it’s definitely going to be on my list 🙂
I love Hallstatt! I went as part of a tour, because it is a little tricky to get to without a car. Loved the nostalgia of my trip in this post!
This looks a stunning place to visit – another for the bucket list! I went to St Wolfgang on a skiing holiday years ago which was lovely – I need another trip to Austria soon!
Hallstatt has been on my list for some time now. I was hoping to visit this year, but it’s not looking like that will happen. Sigh. Saving this for later!
That’s the best guide to Hallstatt I’ve read. You covered so much in just a day. Didn’t know about the ossuary. I’ll be saving this for when I get there.