No trip to Salzburg is complete without visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hallstatt. This beautiful Austrian town is situated by a lake surrounded by mountains. Here’s how to make the most of a day in Hallstatt.
When to visit Hallstatt
We visited Hallstatt in ‘off season’ and I’m so glad we did. Hallstatt is a victim of overtourism and I was worried it would be super crowded, and less enjoyable because of it.
We visited Austria in late March – late for the ski season, and early for the summer season. This could have been a risk, as there is still a good chance of cold weather and snow. We were lucky to have clear weather and bright sunshine for the whole week.
We arrived for our day in Hallstatt about 10am and there were only a handful of other tourists all day long. No queues, no people in our photos, and no hassle. It was wonderful!
Yes, the weather could have been cloudy and wet, but even then I think I would prefer an empty town to one crawling with tourists. So I recommend March as a time to visit Hallstatt.
Getting to Hallstatt from Salzburg
By car
We rented a car for our trip as we had plans to explore more of Salzburgerland. Our car rental was from Europcar in the city, which was easy to get to via bus 21 from Mirabell.
From Salzburg we drove to Bad Ischl, a small pretty thermal spa town about 30 minutes drive from Hallstatt. If you have the time, a short stay in Bad Ischl is worthwhile – it’s a cute little town and you can see snow-capped mountains from the thermal baths.
The drive from Salzburg to Hallstatt takes about 1hr 15 if you’re driving straight from the city.
By public transport
It is possible to take public transport from Salzburg to Hallstatt, though you’ll need to take two trains and a bus and the journey time is around 2.5 – 3 hours.
Whilst this is the cheapest option, it’s probably only worth pursuing if you’re going to stay overnight for more than just a day in Hallstatt.
You can plan your journey using Google Maps.
Take a day tour
If you’d prefer not to hire a car, booking a day trip from Salzburg is a great low hassle option. This is ideal if you’re only in Salzburg for a short time. A half-day tour with Viator will take about 5 hours, giving you 2.5 hours to explore Hallstatt.
Getting ‘that shot’ of Hallstatt
So where do you need to stand to get the shot of Hallstatt that you’ve seen on Instagram? The spot is called ‘Aussichtspunkt Hallstatt’ and is marked on Google Maps as a scenic point.
There are only a few roads in Hallstatt so it’s easy to find. From the Central Square, face the lake and head to your left. Keep going and you’ll find it after perhaps a 5 minute walk. There’s nothing marked, but you’ll recognise the view.
Hike up to the viewpoint in Hallstatt
I like to include outdoor adventure wherever possible, so we took the hiking route up to the viewing platform in Hallstatt rather than taking the funicular.
To find the steps behind the town, take Mullerstiege (a small street off Oberer Marktplatz) and start to climb up among the houses. Half way up take the steps to the left (straight on ends up in a carpark) and you’ll soon find yourself on the small zigzag road up to the hiking trail.
It takes about an hour to hike to the top, depending on how often you stop to take photos of the beautiful view of the Hallstatt rooftops, lake and mountains. It’s an easy hike suitable for anyone with a moderate level of fitness.
The hiking trail is closed over the winter months and, if you do choose to ignore the signs, you won’t be able to call rescue. So use your best judgement.
Stand on the viewing platform
The viewing platform at the top sticks out from the ground and gives a great panoramic view of the lake and mountains. Many people want to take photos of them standing on the platform, so it can take a while if you want to do the same.
Honestly, if you’ve hiked from the town, you’ll have seen the amazing views by yourself all the way up!
Get the funicular back to Hallstatt
Your options for getting back down to the town are to either take the funicular, or hike back down (which takes about 30 minutes). We were hungry and didn’t fancy the big meals at the restaurant at the top, so we took the funicular.
The funicular costs 11 Euros for a one-way trip and you can buy tickets at the ticket gate. If it’s quiet you may have to wait around a while to find someone who works there to sell you a ticket. The funicular takes a couple of minutes to reach the bottom, arriving near the car parks.
Grab lunch at Die Gemischtwarenhandlung Am See
We had lunch at Die Gemischtwarenhandlung Am See which is a cute cafe in the centre of Hallstatt. One of the more modern places to grab a decent coffee and a delicious open sandwich.
I recommend grabbing one of the tables out front to watch the world go by as you eat.
Explore Hallstatt town
The best thing you can do in Hallstatt is to simply wander the narrow streets and take in the pretty houses and the lakeside scenery. It’s a maze of beautiful buildings, shops and cafes which is a pleasure to explore.
Buy a souvenir from your day in Hallstatt
If you’re looking for a unique souvenir from Hallstatt, find Schnapps & Holz. This woodwork shop has a lathe in the corner and they carve toys and kitchenware. We picked up a small spinning top and a Christmas decoration.
As the name suggests, they also sell Schnapps if you like a tipple.
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