Hallstatt, Austria Tourist Attractions

Hallstatt, Austria is a small village that will only take approximately fifteen minutes to walk across. Its appearance is something out of the ordinary, more suitable for a storybook tale than a town in the Austrian Lake District. No matter the season, the lake below this mountainside village has something to attract visitors. The local swans are able to live in the lake all year long, even when the snow has covered the surrounding areas. In the summer, Hallstatt's lake is home to a variety of outdoor activities, from rafting to hiking to swimming.

Hallstatt, Austria tourist attractions: Outdoor recreation

Hikers will enjoy the challenge and fresh mountain air of Hallstatt, Austria. Starting at the base of the village, hikers can travel up a trail toward the nearby salt mine. Along this hiking trail, you will come upon a viewing platform that offers some of the best possible views of Hallstatt, Austria and the mountains surrounding the village. The salt mine itself is closed from November to April, so the amazing view of Hallstatt, Austria will have to suffice as incentive to make the hike during this time of year.

Hallstatt, Austria tourist attractions: The salt mine

When the Hallstatt, Austria salt mine is open to the public, visitors are treated to an authentic simulation of what it was like to actually work in the mine. Guests are given miner's clothes to wear while they wander through the mine's system of caves and tunnels. Visitors are even permitted to slide down the mine's wooden banisters. This was the method used by the old-time Hallstatt, Austria miners when they needed to reach a lower level of the salt mine. Archaeological digs in the area have shown that Hallstatt, Austria could have been settled and in the salt mining trade as early as 7,000 years ago.

Hallstatt, Austria tourist attractions: The Bone Chapel

The Bone Chapel is another Hallstatt, Austria landmark that dates back to a time well in the past. Originally built in the 12th century, Hallstatt's Bone Chapel was created when space in the local cemetery became too limited to house more bodies. To allow for new families to memorialize their dead, the remains were dug up after twelve years and transferred to the Bone Chapel. This continued until 1960 when cremation became officially permitted by the Catholic Church. At last count, it is estimated that the Bone Chapel in Hallstatt, Austria holds over 600 skulls, all labeled with names and dates of birth and death.