One day in Hallstatt the fairy-tale village of Salzkammergut

Happy New Year! Can’t believe how quickly time flies.
In early December we started a road trip in Austria, a preferred winter destination in the past years. I was looking for a place where I would find the best Christmas markets, beautiful sightseeing, landscapes and winter sports. This is why I choose Salzburgerland in Austria, since it is an ideal destination all year round, with many good itinerary options. Therefore, we visited Salzburg for Christmas Markets (read the article here), then we went to Hallstatt as a day trip from Salzburg and finally we got in Obertauern, a ski resort located 1 hour away from Salzburg (read the article here).

Hallstatt is an excellent idea for a day trip and a blissful escape to remember. Listed as UNESCO World Heritage, Hallstatt is one of the most beautiful villages in Austria and its splendid location makes it a good destination all year round. Even so, I believe that during winter season Hallstatt gets a special charm since it’s less touristy and the moody weather makes it mysterious and fascinating.

How to get to Hallstatt from Salzburg

Hallstatt is approximate 1 hour and a half drive away from Salzburg, which is the closest city (71.7 km away). Besides by car, Hallstatt can be reached by bus (approximate 3 hours from Salzburg) or by train (2 hours and 30 minutes from Salzburg, plus ferry ride 15 minute).

• If you opt for the bus, take the bus no 150 from Salzburg Mirabellplatz station to Bad Ischl. Bad Ischl is the last stop and the bus ride takes 2 hours and 25 minutes. Once arrived at Bad Ischl transfer to bus 542 and 543 to Hallstatt. This app is the official public transportation for buses in Salzburger Land and is very useful for configurate your own routes, bus schedules, buying tickets and more.
• If you opt for the train, there are several options from Salzburg Hbf train station. Here is the national rail company in Austria for accurate information regarding trains’ schedule. The train station is located across the lake, but there is a ferry to the village which operates according to train schedule.

~ Similar to my look ~

How to spend one day in Hallstatt

Hallstatt is incredibly small and there are only few sights to visit. But the true charm of Hallstatt is to discover it at a slow peace and enjoy its scenic landscapes by walking or by hiking in the area: the nature there is amazing.

Besides enjoying this little paradise, hidden into the mountains, the main sightseeing of Hallstatt is the salt mine which is some of the oldest one in the world. The name Hallstatt came from the Celtic “hal” meaning salt.

For a different perspective and for a memorable scenic view, a ferry ride is a pleasant way to discover more of Hallstatt.

Amongst the most popular viewpoints in Hallstatt, with a good reason, don’t miss Classic Village Viewpoint (address: Gosaumühlstraße 67, 4830 Hallstatt), World Heritage View Point (address: Salzberg 1, 4830 Hallstatt), Hallstatt Skywalk “Welterbeblick” (address: Salzbergstraße 21, 4830 Hallstatt).

Good to know for first time visitors

The cars are not allowed into the villages’ center, but there are 2 parking points outside the center P1 (available all year) and P2 (available during summer). The distance from the parking area to the city center is about 15 minutes walk.

Hallstatt is a very small village comparing to the number of tourists visiting it, which means that there are not many hotel options. This is why, for more than 1 day spent in Hallstatt the early booking is a good idea. Also, there are some good hotel options around Hallstatt, the village being part of the UNESCO World Heritage region of Hallstatt Dachstein Salzkammergut together with other 3 towns Bad Goisern, Gosau and Obertraun.