Busy weekend in Hallstatt
How to see as much as possible from around Hallstatt
Hallstatt is not just an icon of Austria in a valley surrounded by mountains and a lake. It hides much more. It's lovely to wander through the narrow streets and enjoy the atmosphere, but it has so much more to offer. As there are salt mines that are famous all over the world, don't forget the Waldbach river, which finds its way through the Alps, Look into caves like the Dachstein ice cave and or more to the heavens at the 5 fingers lookout. All this can be done in a weekend.
Busy weekend in Hallstatt
The journey from our country takes 3–8 hours by car. It depends where one of us lives. But there are plenty of buses and trains, but you have to take a ferry across Hallstatt lake or go around the lake by bus. If the trip is less than 5 hours away, I recommend going on district roads. Austria is a beautiful country for natural scenery and really worth a stop or a relaxing walk. In addition, the road is often empty and the permitted speed of 100 km/h is quite sufficient. However, it is necessary to take into account that on the weekend in most cities gas stations are closed and some have automatic pumps. So it's better to keep an eye on the tank and the prices of materials are the same or cheaper than in the Czech Republic.
Day 1 – It is time to travel to Hallstatt and check in. There are options in a hotel, a guesthouse, such as the well-known Haus Salzberg , or in the Hallstatt car park, which costs around 15 EUR/night. I would use the rest of the day to explore Hallstatt. Walk along the embankment, visit the famous ossuary for 1 Euro. walk to the lookout points, which are also marked on mapy.cz. Overcrowding must be taken into account.
2nd day – If I am not so burdened by finances, there is a possibility to visit the Salt Chamber, see article But it is necessary to calculate that the price per person is about 1000–1200 CZK including the cable car. Unfortunately, it probably won't be cheaper. But it is possible to take the cable car for about 250–300 CZK, where you don't forget the Skywalk viewpoint and continue past the Salt Chambers to the Waldbach River. Cascades of waterfalls are formed here, see article this hike is around 15 km long and is just enough for the whole day if it is combined with a tour of the Salt Chamber.
Day 3 – Cross to Obertraun first thing in the morning. The first cable car leaves around 8:40 a.m. and here I also recommend the return ticket, which costs about 900 CZK. Here you can also buy a ticket to the Dachstein Ice Cave or the Mammoth Cave. I recommend the first one, see article. The tour lasts about 1 hour and is about a 15-minute walk from the cable car. Or skip the beauty of this cave and go straight to 5 fingers. It's barely half an hour's journey to the viewpoint from the cable car. Beautiful panoramas open up here, viz. article. My estimate is that it will take around 13–14 hours to get down to the car with the cable car. Then there is another 3–8 hour drive home.
Tour of Hallstatt
Icon of Austria
Hallstatt village with 1000 inhabitants. Thanks to its historicity, folk culture and its geographical location in 1996, it was included on the UNESCO list. Its history is 5,000 years old thanks to findings from the Bronze Age. Even in the 19th century, the village could only be reached by boat. The individual houses are crammed side by side and some alleys lead through the houses. Hallstatt is one of the most visited places in Austria. It is often on the main page of guides, internet search engines and postcards. continue reading
Tour of Kaiserin Christina Stollen
A tour of the Christina salt mine
The age of this mine is estimated at 7,000 years, when wooden stairs from the Bronze Age were discovered here. The mine has a total of 65 km of track, of which another 22.5 km on foot. There are 20 floors. There are two mining slides in the tour. The second longest in Europe measures 65 meters and can reach speeds of up to 40 km / h. During the tour, you will learn about the formation of this mass of salt due to the wrinkling of the mainland. In recent times, such as World War II, images of incalculable value have been hidden here. continue reading
Waldbach
A wild river above Hallstatt
The river Waldbach lives in the deep shadow of the town of Hallstatt and its adjacent salt galleries. It is a very wild river with many waterfalls that cut into the landscape. The river is about 3 km long and flows at an altitude of 913 m. nm The hike can be started from Hallstatt, it is a hike for 3 hours or from the Salt Chamber also a hike for 3 hours. Just be careful which way you go. There is also a light ferrata. The advantage is that there are few visitors. continue reading
Tour of the Dachstein Ice Cave
Winter kingdom
The Giant Ice Cave is also one of the largest ice caves in Europe. Its entrances are located at an altitude of 1418 and 1458 m. There are several domes to see. The oldest ice is estimated to be 500–600 years old. The cave is one of the greatest wonders in the Alps. The tour of the cave takes about an hour. 800 meters are accessible from the 2,700 meters of the cave. Every year, the ice in the cave increases in size. So the ice doesn't melt here as fast as it forms. The temperature is –3 ° C / + 3 ° C. Shooting only after consultation with a guide. continue reading
Trip to the Five Fingers viewpoint
View of Lake Hallstatt and surroundings
The Five Fingers lookout is one of the most sought after places in the Dachstein and Hallstatt area. It is possible to get here from the village of Obertraun by walking to the top of Krippenstein or by cable car, where it is possible to make an intermediate stop with the caves, which is discussed in another article. From the Krippenstein cable car station, it's about a 30-minute leisurely walk to the Five Fingers viewpoint. It is at an altitude of 2,035 meters above sea level and above an abyss 400 meters deep. From here there is a wonderful view of Lake Hallstatt, reminiscent of the fjords in Norway. continue reading
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