I don’t know how I don’t have more pictures from this glorious location. So I hope you can grasp it’s beauty from my sad representation.
They tell it how it is
We can’t talk about Hallstatt without mentioning Austrian culture. Just note that the people can be brash and filterless as a whole. They don’t mean any harm or offense. They are just to the point, and tell it how it is. It caught us off guard before we did our research.
So, don’t expect an overly bubbly welcome upon arrival. And hey, if you don’t have the same experience we did, then that’s even better. Also, once you break the ice with some humor or fire back, they warm up super fast.
What to do
Rent bikes and ride to the origin
Hallstatt’s fame comes from the salt mine. Which you can tour. We didn’t choose to do this, but we hear great things. There are slide you can go down inside the mine, and I imagine it’s pretty cool.
With our two days in Hallstatt we opted to rent a bike and ride into the woods per suggestion of our host. We rode out to where the water originates from the mountain side. You literally follow the river to it’s source, where water is randomly spewing out of the earth. Pretty. stinkin’. cool.
Take the funicular to the view point
The only time we actually went IN to the town of Hallstatt was to take photos and go to the “view point.” You can get to the view point via a funicular. This is also the access point for the mine. You can also do hikes from here.
Really, you can do all sorts of outdoor activities in Hallstatt and the surrounding areas. Hiking, fishing, boating, kayaking, biking, etc. I assume in the winter there are probably areas to ski near by as well. Another awesome view point is from the cable car in Obertraun. We could see it from our room, but we only had one day of nice weather so we couldn’t fit it all in one day.
Our b&B
I would 100% recommend the bed and breakfast we stayed in. It was great staying in Obertraun, the neighboring town to Hallstatt. Hallstatt is small and very crowded. Being Obertraun allowed us to experience the beauty of the environment away from the hustle and bustle. Just rent some bikes or drive in and park for the day.
You can find this B&B on booking. We booked a room with a view and it was worth every penny. The owners were kind, breakfast was great, and the location was perfect in our opinion.
First photo is the property, second is the side view from our room, third is front view from our room. Very differing weather…clearly.
Verdict
Hallstatt is worth visiting. You don’t need more than two or three days here. It really depends on what you want to do. People take day trips here, and people stay for a week. It’s up to you and how you’re spending your time. I should also note, that this is a TOURIST LOCATION. Meaning the food is limited in quality and variety, and it’s usually overpriced.
And please, for the love of all things holy, take more photos than I did.
If you missed the previous post, we spent three days in our favorite location to date, Ljubljana, Slovenia. And after Hallstatt, we head to another favorite location…GRINDELWALD SWITZERLAND. You do not want to miss this one…Don’t you worry, I took thirty-six-million, four-hundred-thousand photos. Stay tuned.
