Hallstatt, Austria - Everything you wanted to know about the most fairytale-like town in Europe

Hello guys :) Christmas is approaching and it occured to me that it is time to leave reality behind a little and dive ourselves deep into the festive atmosphere and explore some of the smaller, but the more picturesque places one can find in Europe. Let's leave the big city lights behind and welcome to Hallstatt. :)

Hallstatt was founded centuries ago as a market town in salt production. Situated on the Hallstätter See and on a merchant road through the Salzkammergut in middle Austria, it has been the center of the area for ages. Today, when the salt mines are closed, the main source of income for any of the inhabitants, is tourism. You may say that the town got turned into some sort of a Disneyland, but, i don't know. It shows the amazing culture of the area perfectly and even though everything really is so shiny and glowing today, as a shop window for Austrian tourism, it still shows the appearence of the town in the late 1800s and doesn't loose much of its magic. I mean, even the Chinese came, took measurements and created an exact replica somewhere in China. If that doesn't speak of the town's qualities, I don't know what does :))

The town is located on the shores of the nearby lake, on the slopes of the Dachstein massive. There are literally a few meters of space between the shore of the lake and the cliffs above the town, making the actual living space one of the most precious comodities in the town. Therer is atually so little space, that all the dead bodies in the local cemetery are being exhumed every now and then and moved to the ossuary to make extra room for new bodies. If you are a fan of slighly creeepy sights, don't forget to visit the church and the ossuary inside. A lot of skulls can't wait for your visit :)

Sooo, what can you visit here? Well, that is a little tricky question. I think that the problem is that there aren't really any tourist spots in the town - the town itself is. You can literally walk from one end to the other in less than ten minutes. But the sights you will get along the way are just breathtaking.

But ok, if you are really looking for some landmarks, there are some. Probably the one true postcard thing from Hallstatt is the central church with its characteristic pointy tower. There is also the Cultural Heritage Museum in the town, depicting the last 7 thousand years of history. In the middle of the town you may take a look on a very long alpine waterfall. But overall, if you are in the town, just walk the one road along the lake and enjoy the atmosphere. Especially when there is Christmas coming :)

Getting to Hallstatt can be a little tricky. There is a train station on the oposite side of the Hallstatter See, but only a local regional train stops there, so it requieres a little combinatorics to get there, especially if you travel from some of the larget Austrian cities. Generally, if you don't have a car, I can recommend you to take some guided tour. It may be a little more expensive, but on the other hand, all the troubles with planning go away and you can just let the town's atmosphere soak in without worries. And get some typical Glühwein on the way :)

Stay tuned, for other european towns are coming next :)

And have a happy first Sunday in Advent :)

Lex