Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
with a flash for an automatic souvenir photo that clocks your speed—see how you did com-
pared to the rest of your group after the tour).
WhilethetourismostlyinGerman,theguideisrequiredtospeakEnglishifyouask...so
ask. Be sure to dress for the constant 47-degree temperature.
Returning to Hallstatt:
If you skip the funicular down, the steep and scenic 40-minute
hike back into town is (with strong knees) a joy. At the base of the funicular, notice the train
tracks leading to the Erbstollen tunnel entrance. This lowest of the salt tunnels goes many
milesintothemountain,whereashaftconnectsittothetunnelsyoujustexplored.Today,the
salty brine from these tunnels flows 25 miles through the world's oldest pipeline—made of
wood until quite recently—to the huge modern salt works (next to the highway) at Ebensee.
▲
Local Hikes
Mountain-lovers, hikers, and spelunkers who use Hallstatt as their home base keep busy for
days (ask the TI for ideas). A good, short, and easy walk is the two-hour round-trip up the
Echern Valley to the Waldbachstrub waterfall and back: From the parking lot, follow signs
to the salt mines, then follow the little wooden signs marked
Echerntalweg
. With a car, con-
sider hiking around nearby Altaussee (flat, 3-hour hike) or along Grundlsee to Toplitzsee.
Regular buses connect Hallstatt with Gosausee for a pleasant hour-long walk around that
lake. Or consider walking nine miles halfway around Lake Hallstatt via the town of Steeg
(boat to train station, walk left along lake and past idyllic farmsteads, returning to Hallstatt
along the old salt trail,
Soleleitungsweg
); for a shorter hike, walk to Steeg along either side
of the lake, and catch the train from Steeg back to Hallstatt's station. The TI can also recom-
mend a great two-day hike with an overnight in a nearby mountain hut.
The best two bike rides take nearly the same routes as the hikes listed previously: up the
Echern Valley and around the lake (bikers do better going via Obertraun along the lakeside
bike path—start with a ride on the
Stefanie
). There's no public bike rental in Hallstatt, but
some hotels have loaner bikes for guests.
From Obertraun, three miles beyond Hallstatt on the main road (or directly across the lake
asthecrowflies),acablecarglidesuptotheDachsteinPlateau.Alongtheway,youcanhop
off to tour two different caves: the refreshingly chilly Giant Ice Caves and the less-impress-
ive Mammoth Caves.
Getting to Obertraun:
The cable car to Dachstein leaves from the outskirts of Ober-
traun. To reach the cable car from Hallstatt, the handiest and cheapest option is the bus
