Austria is home to a perfect mix of amazing old-world architecture and lush greenery. Besides the famous cities of Salzburg (the setting for the Sound of Music and birth place of Mozart) and Vienna (capital of Austria and best example of old-world architecture), it should be on a to-do list to visit one of the many villages in Austria. For me, the top of the list should be Hallstatt.
You get a fantastic first look of Hallstatt coming in by train from Bad Ischl station. If anything, this first look will set a positive vibe for the trip down to Hallstatt.
Hallstatt is located about an hour+ bus ride away from Salzburg. Human habitation here started since the prehistoric times, resulting to this village being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage and has quite a booming tourism trade in that village. You should find no shortage of hotels or dining options once you are there.
Many of the buildings here have this perfect blend of man-made architecture and nature.
One of the top things to do around Hallstatt would surely be to wander around the streets in the village. Be it the main road, or some quiet residential alley, you will find every opportunity to absorb the beauty of Hallstatt. Despite being a tourist destination, it is still very serene.
At the village's square, you will find majority of the restaurants located around here. As for the pricing, it would cost you as much as eating out in Salzburg or Vienna. So don't expect low prices. After all, you are also partially paying for the amazing view of the square while dining. Believe me, you would appreciate the colourful houses while sipping your coffee.
The Evangelical Church. In many photos of Hallstatt, you will find this church pictured in it, as it stands quite high above the three storey buildings in the village and is also located at the lake side.
Besides wandering around the village, another thing to do here is to climb up the Catholic Parish Church. This church, unlike the Evangelical Church, is located up a hill and would require some steps-climbing to reach. Fret not, the steps are quite user-friendly.
Not only does the Catholic Parish Church have a great view, it also has a small house at the back housing some 1200 skulls from the 1700s. That was when they did not have enough land to allow all the dead to be buried permanently and before cremation was allowed. A solution was to allow the dead to be buried for about 15years or so, before digging them out and placing them in the small house behind the church (Beinhaus/Bone House). Soon they began painting and decorating the skulls, resulting in the world's best surviving collection of decorated skulls.
Even when the people are buried, you will see that the grave stones mark multiple names (from a few family members).
The Parish Church is small in comparison to many others but it has two magnificent alters.
Walking along the length of the church, you will come around a narrow walkway/corridor just beside the tower and there, you will have an amazing view of Hallstatt.
Another good place for photos is at the bus station in Hallstatt. It is also near the ferry station at the end of the village. For those cooking in hostels to save a buck, you will be happy to know that this small village owns a decent supermarket just opposite the bus station.
Home-cooked food all the way!
As staying in Hallstatt is quite expensive for me, I stayed across the lake at Obertraun (at Hotel Seerose apartments).
It is less touristy but much for peaceful. This would be the village you want to stay in if you are staying in Hallstatt for longer than a day. Besides, there are plenty of relaxing activities to do around in Obertraun even if it is not a tourist destination. The water is too clear and cool to miss out on a good swim (two Siberian Huskies will vouch for this). The surrounding nature will tempt even the laziest for a hike or bike session around. There is just so much!
The only drawback from staying in Obertraun is that the ferry costs more than EUR2.50 (which is the price from Hallstatt train station to Hallstatt). From Obertraun to Hallstatt, it will set you back EUR6 per trip. However, this can be easily solved by taking the local bus, which is about EUR2.00/trip. The distance between the two village is merely 4-5km, so it takes only about 15min by bus. Or if you're up for it, take a good long scenic walk. The road snakes by the lake side, offering more fantastic views.
Since Obertraun is so undisturbed by tourists, you get to take your time wandering around or doing the things you most probably can't do in peace, like feeding swans and ducks.
I remember someone told me that for every good photo, there's a few hundred failed ones (Hello, life motto). I must have taken about 50 photos of this swan (and the occasional duck) during its 10 minutes feeding time.
But I got it. That's what the other 49 photos are for; this one good shot.
You will also get the opportunity to shamelessly take posed photos of yourself for the next hour.
Isn't this the perfect banner photo or what?!
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