Hallstatt: History, Beauty And Magic In A Unique Corner
Have you ever thought about visiting one of those beautiful little snowy villages that look like something out of a Christmas postcard? Well, have no doubt that the place we are approaching today meets all the characteristics. Welcome to Hallstatt, in Austria, a fairytale town.
When we talk about Christmas postcards, have no doubt that Hallstatt has appeared in many, because not only does it use its stamps as a tourist attraction in Austria, but its geography is one of the most used in the world for its really beautiful mountainous profile and its privileged environment.
Hallstatt geography
If you want to visit Hallstatt you will have to head towards the most mountainous area of Austria. Beyond the well-known Vienna or Salzburg, we can climb the Salzkammergut chain to locate one of the most idyllic towns in Europe.
Hallstatt is in a privileged location thanks to the fact that it borders on the one hand with the magnificent Dachstein mountains and on the other with the wonderful Hallstatter lake, so it is located in a truly magical space.
It is therefore not strange that this incredible town attracts attention. It was even named Cultural Landscape within the World Heritage Site by UNESCO for the sublime beauty of the place, whose pampered and cared architecture creates a wonderful contrast with the reflection of the mountains on the icy water of the lake. A true fairy tale come true.
What is Hallstatt like?
Once you get to Hallstatt, you find yourself in a small town where everyone seems to be friendly, and that’s because they are. That is why we say that visiting this place is like living in a fairy tale, because at times that is the feeling it gives.
Everything in the town is taken care of in detail. The set of small streets that make up the geography of the place leading to incredible squares of great beauty, on the sides of which rise white houses with dark roofs prepared to let the snow fall down.
No wonder, whatever time of year you visit Hallstatt, you find the balconies of the houses decked out with pretty flowers. In addition, the peculiar geography of Hallstatt is completed with stairs that appear by surprise to reach certain corners of the town.
What to see in Hallstatt?
But it is not just streets, squares, stairs and houses with balconies that you see in Hallstatt. In addition, the passage of history has left its mark on the geography of the small Austrian town that lasts to this day.
What was once a town that was created by the oldest salt mine on the planet, today has, for example, the Pfarrkirche, a small and beautiful Romanesque church dating from the 12th century and which has recently been restored to the delight of visitors.
Another special corner that every visitor should know in Hallstatt is the Rudolfstum, a tall tower that once formed part of the now dilapidated castle that belonged to Duke Albrecht in 1284, but has become a tourist attraction over time.
Unfortunately, little has survived to this day of human activity at the site at the dawn of the founding of Hallstatt. Almost 4000 years ago the old salt mines began to be exploited, and it was even one of the most developed towns in the Bronze Age. You can still visit these mines and excavations thanks to a funicular.
Another corner that you should not miss is the famous House of Bones. Beyond the macabre of the place lies a unique tourist attraction due to a Gothic Catholic chapel surrounded by a cemetery full of skulls.
It is clear that your visit to Austria cannot miss the beautiful and impressive town of Hallstatt. If you want to taste magnificent natural landscapes in an idyllic and incredible environment, this is one of the essential getaways in the Central European country.
