Hallstatt, fairytale town from the Disney film Frozen
Hallstatt is a Unesco world heritage site. Not for nothing it is one of the most photographed places in the world. It is one of Austria’s top highlights barely at an hour’s drive from Donnersbachwald. The beautiful baroque houses, situated on the shores of the lake, with the green mountain slopes in the background make it a very idyllic place. Since the 2013 Disney film ‘Frozen’, the town has become immensely popular due to its resemblance to the fictional place Arandelle from the film. During high season, it is recommended to visit the city early in the day, when the big tour buses have not yet arrived. A visit In the late afternoon, after the departure of the tour buses, is also an option.
Hallstatt is car-free and is about an hour’s drive from Donnersbachwald. We park the car in one of the parkings outside the city centre. From there, we walk to the Hallstättersee. This is an amazing place. It looks like a fairytale world. It is a photographer’s paradise.
We follow the border of the water to the entrance of the village. There, we soon reach the waterfront. It is about a kilometre long. Here you can stroll and enjoy the sunset in the evening.
Hallstatt is not that big but it is lovely to hang out among the colourful buildings. Centrally located is the cosy market square. Definitely worth a visit is the Beinhaus in St Michael’s Chapel. Here lie about 600 decoratively painted skulls. Due to limited space, the graves were reused every 10 years. To preserve the identity of the excavated individual, the person’s name was painted on the skull.
Those who love it can opt for a romantic pedal boat ride. In addition, you can take a trip to the Skywalk Welterbeblick. There are two ways to do this: either via the cable car leaving at the bottom of the village or through a firm walk. For this, you need to count about 2 hours (1 hour up and 1 hour down). Furthermore, there is the possibility to visit Salzwelten. Saltzwelten Hallstatt is the world’s oldest salt mine still in use today. Saltzwelten can also perfectly be visited on a rainy day. Be sure to check opening hours upfront. More information on Salzwelten in Hallstatt can be found here.
