Hallstatt Travel Guide
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Planning a Trip to Hallstatt
Hallstatt is one of the dreamiest European villages. This tiny town in Austria’s Lake region, Salzkammergut, has exploded in popularity due to its picturesque nature & Instagram fame.
This quaint lakeside town is worth a stop on your Austrian Itinerary, and although it’s easy to see in a day, I recommend staying overnight if you can swing it so you can enjoy the early morning and evening without the influx of daytrippers!
Jump To:
- Backpacks & Bubbly – Top Picks for Drinks With A View
- Where to Stay in Hallstatt
- Best Things to do in Hallstatt
- Best Restaurants in Hallstatt
- Getting to Hallstatt
- When to Visit Hallstatt
- How Many Days to Spend in Hallstatt
- Safety for Solo Female Travelers in Hallstatt
- Hallstatt Top Blog Posts
Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!
Planning a longer trip to Austria? See My Austria trip planner here.
Backpacks & Bubbly – Top Picks for Drinks With A View
Rudolfsturm
This one involves a bit of effort to get to, but it’s worth it for the panoramic views over Hallstatt, the lake and mountains beyond. It’s located right at the top of the funicular that leave from Hallstatt and goes up into the mountains to the salt mines and viewpoint.
Seehotel Grüner Baum
For amazing views right in town, head to the patio at Seehotel Grüner Baum, this stunning lakekside patio has the best views in Hallstatt for a drink or meal with a view!
Where to Stay in Hallstatt
Heritage Hotel
I absolutely loved this cozy hotel. It’s locatef right next to the ferry station with stunning views over the lake and Hallstatt. They also had a delicious on-site restaurant, which was easy to get a table at as a guest (food options at night in Hallstatt winter were limited!)
Boutiquehotel Strand Hallstatt – Adults only
This boutique hotel is modern, upscale, has a private beach, parking & more. It’s about a 10 minute walk from the most popular sites in Hallstatt, making it convenient, but also a bit removed from the crowds.
Seehotel Grüner Baum
Another great spot right near the ferry stop, Seehotel Grüner Baum has unreal views, an amazing restaurant with one of the best terraces in Hallstatt. This spot is super convenient, and I highly recommend!
Best Things to do in Hallstatt
Explore the Charming Downtown
Hallstatt is tiny, so exploring the cute Marktplatz area doesn’t take long, but it’s a can’t miss and a perfect place for casual exploring.
Head to the Iconic Hallstatt Viewpoint
If you’ve seen pictures of Hallstatt before they’re from this iconic spot. You’ll find it here on the map, or you can just follow the crowds.
Try to be quiet, clean and respectful – the viewpoint is right in front of a few residences, and the people who live there are very vocal about the overtourism and how it’s impacting their life in Hallstatt!
Take the Funicular to Hallstatt Skywalk
For views of the lake and mountains surrounding Hallstatt I recommend taking the funicular up to thr Hallstatt skywalk (or hike, which takes about an hour)
The funicular is quick and costs about $25 per person round trip.
Panoramic Viewspoint at Pfarrkirche Mariä Himmelfahrt (Maria am Berg Church)
For another great view of Hallstatt head to the Pfarrkirche Mariä Himmelfahrt (Maria am Berg Church) this was one of my favorite views, and it’s only about a 5 minute walk from Hallstatt Old Town
See the Hallstätter Wasserfall
Visbile from most of Old Town Hallstatt, check out the picturesque Hallstätter Wasserfall (waterfall) this epic cascade just adds to the overall fairytale vibe in Hallstatt.
Rent a Boat
If the weather is nice try renting a boat from one of the places along the harbor. Some of the best views of Hallstatt are from the water!
Best Restaurants in Hallstatt
See my full post on Hallstatt’s best restaurants here for more info!
Heritage Hotel Restaurant Seeauer
I stayed at the Heritage Hotel and ate at this restaurant twice. The food was delicious both meals, I loved the schnitzel! I’m surpried the reviews are so low, although I guess that’s because of how many people they had to turn away when I was there!
Zum Bader Gastwirtschaft
One of the most popular spots in Hallstatt, this is a classic Austrian restaurants and one of the best places to grab dinner in Hallstatt.
Rudolfsturm
Located at the top of the funicular high above Hallstatt, Rudolfsturm has some of the best panoramic views over Hallstatt, the lake and the mountains beyond. This spot has decent food but is worth it for the views alone!
They also serve mostly traditional Austrian food like schnitzel, goulash, streudel, etc!
Seehotel Grüner Baum
For a meal with a view closer to Old Town Hallstatt, I highly recommend the terrace at Seehotel Grüner Baum. Their terrace has some of the best views in Hallstatt. Their menu features fresh fish, pastas and more!
Muk´s Schmankerl
For a casual pizza spot with solid food head to Muk´s Schmankerl! They serve fresh, yummy pizzas on paper plates. Also a good place to grab a lakeside gelato!
Getting to Hallstatt
By Car
Car is one of the most convenient ways to reach Hallstatt (given you get there early enough to get parking.) There are four main parking areas in Hallstat.
Parking areas 1 & 2 are right next to the Old Town area. Parking areas 3 & 4 are about a 15 minute walk from Old Town Hallstatt. These areas do fill up quickly during peak summer season, so aim to get there early or come late afternoon!
Driving time from Salzburg is an hour and a half. Vienna is a 3 and a half hour drive.
Train & Boat
The nearest major city to Hallstatt is Salzburg, and you’ll likely need to take the train through Salzburg no matter where you’re coming from. It’s a little over 2 hours from Salzburg to Hallstatt, then you’ll need to take the ferry across the lake (the train is on the other side of the lake from Hallstatt.)
It’s not super easy to get to Hallstatt by train, but this is the best route From Salzburg HB take the train 45 minutes to Attnang-Puchheim, from Attnang-Puchheim it’s 1 hour 30 minutes to Hallstatt.
From the Hallstatt station you need to take the ferry (it’s timed witht the train times) across the lake to Hallstatt, it only takes about 10 minutes, although boarding the boat takes time!
The ferry is cash only, tickets can be bought on board. It was less than 5euro when I visited!
Train, Boat & Bus
One other way to get there from Salzburg is to take the bus from Salzburg –> Bad Ischl Bahnhof, where you’ll then grab the train to Hallstatt. The ferry situation is the same as described above from the train to downtown Hallstatt!
When to Visit Hallstatt
Summer
Summer is definitely the most popular time to visit, and if you’re looking to swim and relax by the lake, summer is when you’ll want to visit. Summer popularity brings with it peak crowds and prices.
Hallstatt is really small, so the summer crowds can detract from the overall experience a bit!
Winter
I loved Hallstatt in the winter! The snowy mountains and the chalet style houses blanketed in snow made it feel even more fairytale-esque. Winter is less popular, so the crowds aren’t as crazy, although there were still a lot of day trippers!
One warning is winter is a bit sleepy in Hallstatt, restaurant options are limited and places are closed early, so just plan ahead!
Fall
Fall is one of my favorite seasons in Europe, and Hallstatt is stuning in the fall. It’s slighttly less crowded than summer, but you’ll still find tons of crowds flocking to visit this scenic town
How Many Days to Spend in Hallstatt
Day Trip to 1 Night
Hallstatt is super small and can definitely be visited as a day trip, my recommendation is to spend one night there for a few reasons.
- it’s not super easy to get to from major cities you may be coming from like Salzburg or Vienna, so it’s nice to break the travel up between 2 days
- most people visiting are day tripping, so staying overnight allows you to explore later in the day and early in the morning without the crowds, which I really enjoyed!
Hallstatt Itinerary
Whether you’re visiting as a day trip or spending one night in Hallstatt (my recommendation) my 1 day in Hallstatt itinerary has all the details you’ll need!
Safety for Solo Female Travelers in Hallstatt
5 out of 5
Hallstatt is a super quiet lake town. I felt safe day and night walking around. Overall I found Austria very safe and welcoming of solo female travelers!
Is Hallstatt Worth Visiting?
I read a lot of mixed reviews on Hallstatt before visiting, mostly due to overcrowding. I think this all comes down to planning. When it comes to Europe popular, smaller towns are always going to be busy. These places are getting SO many tourists and they’re not set up to accommodate that many people.
Your best bet is to go really early or later in the day, try to visit in shoulder or off season, and be patient! There are only so many restaurants, etc.
A note to those visiting Hallstatt – please, please be respectful, particularly at viewpoints and near people’s homes. Hallstatt has had a ton of pushback from locals on the number of tourists visiting and disrupting daily life. I am all for visiting popular, beautiful places (they are popular for a reason) but try to remember to be quiet near people’s homes, dispose of your trash properly, etc.
Hallstatt Top Blog Posts
- 7 Days in Austria- Vienna, Salzburg, Hallstatt & Innsbruck (Mountains, Palaces, Views & All the Streudel)
- 5 Days in Austria -Salzburg, Hallstatt & Innsbruck (Also: A Mountain Lover’s Dream Trip)
- 1 Day in Hallstatt Itinerary: A Perfect Day in Austria’s Dreamiest Lake Town
- 9 Best Restaurants in Hallstatt: Schnitzel, Streudel & Lakeside Views
