Hallstatt walking tour & city guide

The village

Hallstatt's market square is lined with colorful houses, and the classic viewpoint is at the north end of the village. Because space is limited, the bones of past residents were moved to a charnel house, where hundreds of painted skulls are displayed.

Salt and the lake

The village has been mining salt for about 7,000 years, and the Hallstatt Salt Mine, reached by funicular, is the oldest in the world. Near the mine, the Skywalk platform hangs over the village. Boats and electric boats cross the lake.

Visiting Hallstatt

Arrive early or stay overnight to enjoy the village before the day-trippers. The classic postcard view is at the northern end of the village.

Take the funicular to the Skywalk and visit the salt mine. The bone house in the church cemetery is unusual.

Good to know

Hallstatt is small and residents live here, so be respectful and quiet. The village has introduced limits on tourist buses.

The train stops across the lake, and a small ferry brings you to the village.

Why it is so famous

Hallstatt is one of the oldest inhabited places in Europe, thanks to its salt, mined here for over 7,000 years. It even gave its name to an Iron Age culture. Squeezed between a steep mountain and the lake, the village has very little space, which is why its houses climb the slopes and why its cemetery is so small. In winter, with snow on the roofs and few visitors, it is especially magical.