Hallstatt is an absolutely beautiful small town (population: less than 1,000). It is postcard pretty, which is probably what lures most of the tourists to the area (tourists: greatly exceed 1,000). The town is squeezed between the Hallstätter See (lake) and the Salzkammergut Berge (mountains).
The entire area, Dachstein Salzkammergut, is a designated UNESCO World Heritage region. It is definitely a great place for outdoor enthusiasts.
When we considered Hallstatt as a one night getaway, online reviewers warned of Disney World like crowds. I was more than a little apprehensive about what we were walking into.
Thankfully it was nowhere near crowded during our visit. I’m not sure if that is because we were there on a Sunday in June, or if we just got lucky. Either way, it doesn’t matter.
As a popular day trip destination, Hallstatt is most crowded from about 11 AM to 6 PM. There was hardly anyone out before 10 AM or after 8 PM.
We spent one night in Hallstatt on the way to Salzburg from Vienna. An OBB train took us west from Vienna to Attnang-Pucheim, where we changed trains to head south to Hallstatt. The uneventful train ride took about three and a half hours.
Hallstatt’s train station is actually across Hallstätter See from town, so a short boat ride is required. Hallstatt Schifffahrt runs a boat, appropriately the “Stefanie”, across the lake between the train station and town, timed to coincide with the train schedule.
Arriving in town about noon, we headed straight to our hotel, Bräu-Gasthof (located in a building constructed over 700 years ago), to check in. Luckily our room was ready. After dropping our bags we headed out to explore.
Thirty minutes later we had walked through the entire town. Okay, not quite the entire town, just the vast majority of it.
Outdoor activities are very popular, notably hiking, biking, climbing, and boating. Skiing in the winter for sure. Otherwise, there is not much to do in Hallstatt itself. Nightlife is non-existent.
Hallstatt is basically restaurants, cafés, hotels, a few stores, a small museum, and several churches. Cash is king. Very few places take credit cards. There is an ATM every few blocks, with plenty of signs pointing them out. Bring a water bottle, too, as there are plenty of water fountains with a continuous stream of cold water.
For hundreds of years the area was supported by Salzwelten Hallstatt, the oldest salt mine in the world. Now tours are lead through the mines. I guess the mine tour could be interesting, but preferring to be outside, we skipped it.
We rode the funicular up to the high valley to enjoy the views from Rudolfsturm (Rudolph’s Tower). For centuries this was the residence of the salt mine’s manager. Now it is a small restaurant with incredible views from the patio and a small observation deck over town.
Aside from gorgeous views, the other reason to pay €11 each to take the funicular up to the high valley is to escape the heat. It was unseasonably warm in Hallstatt during our visit (low-90s). At about 855 meters, or 2,805 feet, the high valley is much cooler.
The interminably slow ride up the funicular, however, was like sitting in an oven for several minutes just roasting. It was uncomfortably hot in that damn thing. Rather than ride the funicular back down the mountain, we took the walking trail.
The trail – going down – is a wonderful thirty minute walk in the woods, with an overlook at the Hallstatt waterfall. The trail is a series of fairly long and steep switchbacks. I’m not sure I’d want to walk up it, though we saw quite a few folks doing just that.
Another option to get high above Hallstätter See is to ride the cable car at Dachstein Krippenstein, a nearby ski resort. Summer activities include tours of Mammoth Cave and Giant Ice Cave, hiking, a small petting zoo at the lodge, and enjoying jaw dropping views from the 5 Fingers viewing platform.
Two facts dissuaded us from making the trip up. First, the cost. The basic cost to ride the cable car up and back down is just over €35 per person. Add the cave tours and the cost is over €53 per person. Plus the cost of a short bus ride.
Second, and more concerning, the weather. Specifically, the temperature. At 2,100 meters, about 6,900 feet, it is pretty cold at the top. Sweating to death trying to get there in warm clothes did not seem enjoyable, nor did freezing while up top, or carrying clothes to change into.
Faced with a choice of Rudolfsturm or Dachstein Krippenstein, we took the much less expensive, quicker, and easier option. Definitely the right choice for us.
Nice restaurants are everywhere in Hallstatt. The receptionist at our hotel strongly suggested that we make reservations, because lines can get very long for lunch and dinner. That was not a problem. We skipped the touristy restaurants and long lines, instead opting for two popular food choices per Trip Advisor: Karmez Kebap and Burgerman.
Both are basically food stations with a couple of picnic tables. The kebaps (for both lunches) and burgers (for dinner) were some of the best meals (taste and price) we’ve had in Austria. No fancy meals for us. A good burger and a beer do just fine.
Our plan for the evening was to enjoy a few cold beers on the balcony of our hotel. But it was not meant to be. The local grocery store sells warm beer but no ice. And we did not have a refrigerator in our hotel room.
Instead, after the day trippers cleared out, we sat on a bench in the small central square and drank a few bottles of Hallstatt Das Bier, a “naturally cloudy” local brew which we bought at an ice cream stand. It is pretty decent.
The next morning we wandered through town, again, just poking around. To kill time we got cokes at a local café and had a long lunch at Kamez Kebap. We even sat in the Evangelische Pfarrkirche (the Lutheran church) for about thirty minutes to escape the early afternoon heat.
We finally left Hallstatt at about 2:00 PM to continue our journey to Salzburg. The first part of the trip was familiar to us, take the boat to the Hallstatt train station and the OBB train back to Attnang-Pucheim.
Of note, a rider on the OBB train was caught without a ticket. The fine, payable on the spot, is €105. Ouch.
When we got off at Attnang-Pucheim the loudspeaker was broadcasting a message that the OBB train to Salzburg was running about five minutes late. We double checked the board and headed to Platform 3 to wait. Some time later a train arrived at Platform 3, going to Salzburg, and we eagerly hopped on.
It was a very nice train, cleaner and roomier than any other train we have ridden. Unfortunately, it was not our train. When we handed over our tickets, the guy shook his head and said that we were on a WESTBahn train, which is privately owned, not the Austrian state run OBB. Huh?
Without missing a beat, we were told not to worry about it. The guy taking tickets was really cool about the situation. The fact that we were obviously tourists, had train tickets to Salzburg, and stupid looks on our faces probably helped, too.
Get caught on an OBB train without a ticket and you pay a €105 fine, no questions asked. But on a privately owned train, you might get lucky. We sure did.
We later learned that both WESTBahn and OBB had trains running to Salzburg, stopping on Platform 3 in Attnang-Pucheim, about five minutes apart. We simply did not know enough about train travel to make a distinction between WESTBahn and OBB. Now we know. Next time we are buying seats on WESTBahn.
Garrett and Stephanie
P.S. The popularity of Hallstatt is illustrated by the fact that China built a knockoff version of the town in Guangdong. Seriously. Google it.
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