Hallstatt had always been one of my dream destination after I saw numerous friends who went there. It looks mesmerising regardless of the season and there are always activities for everyone to engage in while they are there. Many years ago, I had visited Austria with my family but we did not get to cover Hallstatt. On the previous trip, we visited Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck. In 1997, the village was honored with the position on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and receives over a half a million visitors every year from then on.

So this time round, since I had a few days to spare in Austria, I made it a point to visit Hallstatt. We flew in to Vienna and rented a car which is easier to make a day trip to the picturesque alpine town. We set off in the early morning and took 3h 30min to drive from Vienna to Hallstatt. By the time we reached the town, it was around 10.30am and perfect weather greeted us. Parking would be at P1 which is clearly signposted and a 15 minute walk to the city centre. We hopped off the car and excitedly walked towards the city centre as we could not wait to explore this place.

With pastel-coloured houses casting shimmering reflections onto the looking-glass lake and with lofty mountains rearing up on all sides, Hallstatt’s beauty borders on the surreal and the sublime. Boats chug tranquilly across the lake from the train station to the village, situated precariously on a narrow stretch of land between mountain and shore. (So small is the patch of land occupied by the village that its annual Corpus Christi procession takes place largely in small boats on the lake.) The sheer volume of visitors here can be nerve-fraying, especially in summer, with a sea of cars, buses and tour groups descending.

For the best views of Hallstatt, take the funicular to the top of the hill, where you can also visit the salt mines Salzwelten which are over 250 years old. Unfortunately, when we wanted to go up to visit the caves, it was closed due to winter. The top was covered with snow and the pine trees had bits of snow flaking off. The view at the top made up for the salt caves that we were not able to visit. The cable car ride costs 9€ for a one0way ticket and 16€ for a two-way.

Feeling hungry, we decided to make our way down to the village for lunch. We walked along the lake, saw some ducks waddling around, tourists posing for photos and shops selling the gamut of souvenirs. Having arrived at the number 1 restaurant in Hallstatt as mentioned by TripAdvisor, we were told that there were no more slots for lunch as they were fully booked. This happened similarly for the second restaurant as most of these places are booked in bulk by the tour groups who would have lunch at the restaurant. On the third try, we were lucky to be able to get a table at “Cafe restaurant Bacht’s Polreich“. The cafe serves typical European food. We had the lunch special which was a choice between grilled trout or chicken with sausage, served with potatoes and salad. The waiter was quite busy attending to the big tour group in the other room so the service was slightly slow.

The town square of Hallstatt has many ancient buildings and a fountain. We took the chance to check out the Evangelical church which is the hallmark of the town, marked by its tall column. Today the church which is located near the market place, also regularly holds cultural concert events. Especially in the summer months, many musicians from around the world play in the Hallstatt church. 

Every corner you turn, it is a picture-perfect spot. Going in winter is also an advantage because you would jostle less with the tourist crowds. Majority of the tourists who visit Hallstatt are Asians, and to my surprise my Austrian friend has not even been to Hallstatt yet. We wandered along the cobblestone streets and past local houses, some of which have signs to warn tourists not to trespass their garden, probably due to some bad experiences in the past when tourists, in their eagerness to pose for photos, overstepped their boundaries. Surprisingly, it was also entertaining to stand one side and watch the swans swim so gracefully in the lake. Their feathers is as white as snow on the mountains.

The skies turned dark around 4.30pm. We stayed for another hour or so before returning to the parking lot to retrieve our car. Overall, I really enjoyed the snowy landscape at Hallstatt with my fiancee. Despite the cold, we still enjoyed the beautiful landscapes, the delicious lunch and sipping on hot chocolate to keep us warm.

How to get here?

If you are not driving, you have to rely on public transport to get to Hallstatt. From Vienna or Salzburg, take the train to Bad Ischl. In Bad Ischl you’ll have to transfer to a train. Get off the train at Hallstatt Station and take a ferry across the lake. Your route will take you past some of the most scenic lakes of the Salzkammergut.