Hallstatt - Maybe the Most Beautiful Place on Earth

LOCATION:

Hallstatt, Austria

 

One of the day trips high on the list for both of us was the tiny, mountain ringed, lake-side town of Hallstatt. Home to only a few thousand people, it is described by some as "The Greeting Card for Tranquility." Getting there was also a spectacular adventure, the two hour train ride featured some of the most beautiful lake and mountain scenery I have ever seen. Once we finally got off the train, we were shuttled to the town by a tiny ferry that meets each incoming train.

Waiting for the ferry - tiny Hallstatt in the distance.

Getting closer - looks like a post card doesn't it! And see that yellow house at the top? Little did we know we would end up there!

 

We were pretty hungry after the long journey, so found a great little cafe and (as has become the custom with a new place) sampled the local beer.

Good beer, great views!

 

One of the highlights of Hallstatt (besides the sheer beauty!) is the world's first salt mine. "Salz" translates to salt, and "stat" to stop, so a few iterations later the town got its name - Hallstatt - which essentially means salt stop. The mine is supposed to be reachable by hour long hike up the mountain, so off we went. We were quickly met with signs that said "do not continue - risk of death" so we decided to take the funicular to the top instead.

Erin prepared to hike - not yet aware of the "risk of death" looming ahead.

 

The funicular ride was fun too, and got us to the top much faster.

 

At the top, we were again amazed at the views!

 

Neither of us had ever been to a salt mine before, so had no clue what to expect. We were given miners outfits, which were pretty awesome and - despite making us feel sort of like prisoners - came in handy for keeping us warm as we journeyed about a fifth of a mile into the mountain.

Super cute, right?

 

Here we go, the long tunnel in.

 

Inside, I learned why the salt mines were there in the first place. According to several educational (and very cheesy) videos, the salt mines were created centuries ago as a part of the continents forming. There were oceans where the alps used to be and as the mountains started to form, the oceans dried up and salt deposits were trapped below, leaving them to be discovered hundreds of years later. I also learned that different colors of salt mean different things in terms of mineral deposits - red salt has more iron, and white salt has more calcium.

Examples of the different kinds of salt crystals. I may or may not have tried to lick them :)

 

While learning is always fun, the easy highlight of the salt mine adventure were the two slides we took to get from one area to another. Or special salt miners outfits had felt bottoms, so we got some pretty good speed on the longest slide (our tour guide told us they also sometimes grease the slides and have races, fun!) These slides aren't just for tourists, they are also used by miners for quick movement within the mines. The last adventure was a train, also used by miners, that led us out of the cave and back into the daylight.

 

The slide! Wheeeee!

 

On the train on the way out, watch your head!

 

"Please stay seated and keep your arms inside the train at all times."

 

Hallstatt is a place I would recommend to anyone - it really was one of the most beautiful, peaceful and awe-inspiring places I have seen! Though the town is tiny, it is absolutely worth adding to any European itinerary!

Bavaria at its finest.

 

 

 

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