During my time in Austria, I spent a day in the Lake Hallstatt and Salzkammergut area east of Salzburg (between Vienna and Salzburg). This is a magnificent lake and alpine district that deserves the phrase “picture perfect”. During my time here, in addition my time in Hallstatt, I also visited Mondsee and Lake Wolfgang (even though Mozart’s mother and sister live in the town of St. Wolfgang, the lake and town are named after a saint, not the famous composer).
Clear mountain lakes, bright blue sky, gentle alpine mountains and lush green meadows and forests greet you in the Salzkammergut area of Austria. There are several small villages and a number of lakes in the region. But I only visited Hallstatt (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and its beautiful Lake, Mondsee and Lake Wolfgang.
I referenced several sources before travelling to Vienna, including: Rick Steves’ Vienna-Salzburg & Tirol, Frommer’s Europe, Rough Guide’s Europe on a Budget, Lonely Planet-Europe on a Shoestring, Europe by Eurail and Let’s Go Europe (all books), as well as Rick Steves’ Europe PBS Television Show (available on DVD) and Dennis Callan on YouTube. Even though I enjoyed all of them, I found Rick Steves’ material the most informative and thorough with the bonus of offering many tips and “off the beaten path” options.
The information below is a summary of the sites and activities I enjoyed while I was in the Salzkammergut area.
Hallstatt is an ancient city, dating back to 800 BCE or earlier. It was a very important economic center throughout most of its history because of its lucrative salt mines.
- Picturesque town – Hugging the lake and clinging to the mountain, the town is quite narrow and takes only about 30 minutes to traverse its length.
- Catholic Church and Bone House – The Church dates back to the 12th century, while the famous Bone House exists because the cemetery is so small that the remains of older dead were dug up to make room for the newly dead. The older dead ended up in the Bone House after their bones were carefully cleaned.
- Boat Trip— for a small fee, I went on a trip around the entire lake. The day was perfect, a few white puffy clouds in the otherwise deep blue sky. The views from the boat were spectacular.
- Walking Tour of the town – Beautiful pastel buildings down on the square or perched up on the mountainside. Lots of people enjoying the beauty the day I spent in Hallstatt.
St Michaels Church in Mondsee – Perhaps most famous as the scene where Maria and the Captain are married in “The Sound of Music”. The church was actually part of a monastery far older, with roots going back to the 8th century. The existing church dates back to the 15th century.
Lake Wolfgang – beautiful small lake with a couple of lovely towns (St. Wolfgang and St. Gilgen) and gorgeous views of the mountains, meadows, forests and of course the lake.
Wouldn’t it be lovely to spend a few weeks here! Many of the towns are quiet at night when the day tourists until mid-morning I’m told, leaving the pristine lakes and charming towns to be enjoyed. I’d love to go back. There is a bus that connects many locations around Lake Wolfgang, and there is a train and a bus that takes you to Hallstatt as well.
