If you have watched the Disney movies of Frozen and Frozen 2 then you know about the magical kingdom and city of Arendelle. A small enchanting medieval village sits nestled between the base of a mountain and at the edge of a still body of water. Have you ever wondered if such a place existed in real life? It most certainly does!
Welcome to Hallstatt, Austria. Hallstatt is a Alpine lake situated near the end of the Lake District of Austria. This town is quite secluded with only 780 residents and it takes some effort to get there. It is located at the southern tip of Austria's Lake District. Guess how many lakes there are here?
The answer is an astounding 76 lakes!
Hallstatt is by far the most unique for several reasons.
We visited Hallstatt this past summer and it was surreal.
Ways to Get Here:
We arrived by private car transfer from Vienna. Most visitors will come from Salzburg or Munich. Our private driver picked us up early from our Vienna hotel and dropped us off at a parking lot with a waterfall behind it overlooking the village. The highway goes through tunnels where this parking lot resides at the side of a mountain the in Austrian Alps.
You can take a bus tour from Salzburg or Munich as an alternative. They depart early or midday from those cities. Bus tours guarantees you have a spot where they drop you off so you do no have to worry about parking. In fact, only locals can park at the parking lots in the village. However, the bus takes over 1.5 hours each way and you have to wait for them all passengers to load and unload. It is a tedious process.
Another popular way is to take the train from Salzburg Station, located in the northwest district of Salzburg. We do not recommend this as the train arrives at a town north of Hallstatt village across the lake so you have to take a ferry to and from Hallstatt village. It takes 2 hours each way so you waste four hours.
Lastly, you can drive to Hallstatt but you will to park outside the city limits and walk in. The roads are windy and it cuts through the mountains. If you blink, you will miss the early parking lots just beyond the city limits and it is not easy to turn around. The roads are also tight and often one lane so they are slow as well.
Hallstatt Salt Mine Tour
The Hallstatt Salt Mine Tour is a must do and is rated one of our top SecludedGlen.com experiences in the world. A 10 out of 10 star rating. It is such an unique experience that you we devoted an article just for this unique experience. That will be article 2 out of 3 for our Hallstatt series.
Hallstatt Ice Caves Tour
We also highly recommend the Hallstatt Ice Cave Tour located across the lake on the north side and in the mountain range. That will be our article 3 out of 3 for our Hallstatt series.
Hallstatt Village
The village is the epitome of a postcard worthy picture town and inspires artists and photographers from around the world. We walked from the Salt Mine back through the small road with no sidewalk. You will have to walk to the side when cars past by. You will come across the small highway crossing. Once across you are at the southern area of Hallstatt Village. There is a small store with little private outdoor balcony you can take pictures from. Also, some waded into the water to take that perfect photo facing north. The ferry stop is here as well if you are coming from or to the train station across the lake.
After you had your fill of this scenic point, stroll north on the village central pathway that follows the lake shore. Shops and restaurants abound on both sides until you reach the clearing where there are stores on the left and the lake on your right. Keep an eye out for small schiffs and boats where you can pay to take you out for a 30 minute to 1 hour ride around the lake. We highly recommend this if you can do it. One of our party strolled off so we could not do this activity. But we agree with those who say 30 minutes on the lake is like a serene therapy and respite from a busy and chaotic world. It is like a secluded glen!
As you continue north after your boat ride, you come upon the village square. Here on the right you will find a fantastic Austrian artist who paints surreal scenes of Hallstatt and the surrounding areas. Worth a look and the prices are reasonable to take a drawing/painting home with you.
Most people stop at the town square here but we strolled further. You will come across a boat rental station and parking lot. Walk beyond this parking lot and you will ascend a small roadway. As you curve to the right here, look back and you will have the perfect photographic spot of Hallstatt. It is the one seen at the top of this post.
Hallstatt Austria is one of a kind and we can see why people flock around the world here. Come back to read our next two posts for Hallstatt. Part 2 will detail our adventure up a mountain to the world's oldest salt mine at the back of Hallstatt Village. Part 3 will cover the harrowing journey through the Hallstatt Ice Caves.
Until next time, and as always, we hope you find your own Secluded Glen!
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