Visiting Hallstatt in Austria! I am now in week 2 of the official coronavirus lockdown in Spain. And what a long week it has been. For myself, but also for so many others. Sitting at home, one has to be very creative on keeping busy, so I am spending a few hours each day, reading and fixing my travel blogposts from the year 2018. It is kind of nice reading them again. Although it is a shame, I didn’t take too many photos back then. But hey, I was new to travelling and exploring the world.
So, after reading and fixing some minor issues in the past posts, I realised, that visiting Hallstatt in Austria was a great highlight, and therefore deserves a seperate blog post. It is really a cute fairytale Austrian Village and definitely worth a visit. So here it is! In addition, it might be nice to read about something different than the coronavirus.
Now, two years later, and amid the coronavirus, I am very glad I did all the travels the last few years. And even more, that I could capture it with my travel blog. I am certainly not taking the world for granted! I am also looking forward to continue my travels, hopefully sometime soon. Once we return back to our normal day life. Once again it shows, live is to short to postpone the things you really want to do in your life. Don’t wait!
Hallstatt in Austria
I have heard about Hallstatt the first time I was in Czech Republic, in a small town Cesky Krumlov. Funnily Hallstatt is only a few hours away, so they were offering tours from Cesky Krumlov to Hallstatt in Austria. But is this little town worth a visit?
So I looked it up back then and it was, apparently, one of the ‚must see‘ little towns in all of Europe. Well, I definitely had to go and see for myself. So I kind of planned my trip in Austria around my trip to Hallstatt. (After visiting the Schönbrunn Gardens).
Hallstatt is an UNESCO town sitting in Austria’s mountainous Salzkammergut region on the Hallstatt lake. It is certainly an idylic and very cute little town. The 16th century Alpine houses and alleyways are full of restaurants and shops, as well as residential buildings. The mountains wrapping around the lake create a stunning background. Even the Swans are happy to be there.
The Salt mine and the town
And just behind, on top of one mountain, you find an ancient salt mine with a subterranean salt lake and a Skywalk platform to view Hallstatt in Austria from above. A funicular railway connects those two places for easy access. I didn’t go up as the weather wasn’t right for the view, but I can imagine it would be stunning!
You access Hallstatt through a narrow tunnel and there is strict and limited public parking available, that is way too overpriced. It seems, that Hallstatt is a must see for many, so it was a little bit too crowded for my liking. But it is worth a visit.
That said, although I was very glad I went to see Hallstatt in Austria, I can understand that it struggles (or struggled, given the lack of tourists this year), with the amount of strangers coming every day. Maybe, during those quiet months now, the town will have time to recover and go back to its glory? Let’s hope!
My Travel summary
So, while we are all sitting at home (trying not to go too crazy) and dreaming about our next travels, put Hallstatt in Austria as your travel destination. It is worth a visit and you won’t be disappointed. But, as in any very popular tourist destinations, take care of what is already there. Especially in Hallstatt, where a few residents just don’t want to be disturbed in their private homes. The ones that we get to admire when walking through the alleyways of the town. They deserve some respect.
Maybe, after this virus is over and we are back to travelling, we will appreciate the beauty of each place a little bit more again. What do you think?
Where else are you dreaming about to go to? If you need more travel inspiration, and have some spare time, feel free to click through my travels in Europe, Middle East, and SE Asia. Luckily, it keeps me busy for a few hours a day. So…
How about the Ancient Spots of England? (blog)
Or the town Split in Croatia? (blog)
Rome and the Vatican City maybe? (blog)
And which island is better? Otres Beach or Koh Rong? (blog)
I also loved Pamukkale in Turkey! (blog)
Enjoy browsing and stay safe xx
