Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SOUTHERN SALZKAMMERGUT
The Dachstein mountain range provides a stunning 3000m backdrop to the lakes in the
south. Transport routes go round rather than over these jagged peaks.
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Hallstätter See
The Hallstätter See, set among sharply rising mountains at an altitude of 508m in the
southern Salzkammergut, is one of the prettiest and most accessible lakes in the region. It
offers some of the best hiking and swimming in summer, good skiing in winter, and a fas-
cinating insight into the cultural history of the region any time of year. Just 5km around
the lake lies Obertraun, the closest resort to the Dachstein ice caves. The whole Hallstatt-
Dachstein region became a Unesco World Heritage site in 1997.
Hallstatt
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With pastel-coloured houses that cast shimmering reflections onto the glassy waters of the
lake and with towering mountains on all sides, Hallstatt's beauty alone would be enough
to guarantee it fame. Boats chug tranquilly across the lake from the train station to the vil-
lage, situated precariously on a narrow stretch of land between mountain and shore. So
small is the patch of land occupied by the village that its annual Corpus Christi procession
takes place largely in small boats on the lake.
Salt in the hills above the town have made it a centre of salt mining. The Hallstatt Peri-
od (800 to 400 BC) refers to the early Iron Age in Europe, named after the village and the
Iron Age settlers and Celts who worked the salt mines here.
Today the sheer volume of visitors can get annoying at times, and makes finding a hotel
room difficult in midsummer. Consider staying in Obertraun, which retains its sleepy feel.
The centre of Hallstatt is at Hallstatt Markt, and Hallstatt Lahn is on the edge of town
near the funicular to the Salzbergwerk. The train station is across the lake from Hallstatt;
to get into town you have to take the ferry.
 
 
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