Things to do · Hallstatt · Austria
12 best things to do in Hallstatt
12 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Tigerente, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Hallstatt are Salzwelten Hallstatt salt mine, Skywalk 'Welterbeblick' and Protestant church and lakeshore. Of the 12 picks below, 6 are free, 3 work on a rainy day and 5 suit children. Allow about 2 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Salzwelten Hallstatt salt mine
- Free sights
- 6
- Good on a rainy day
- Salzwelten Hallstatt salt mine
- Time to see the highlights
- 2 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salzwelten Hallstatt salt mine | Lahn | Half a day | Expensive |
| Skywalk 'Welterbeblick' | Lahn | 30 minutes | Mid-priced |
| Protestant church and lakeshore | Hallstatt Markt | 30 minutes | Free |
| Classic village viewpoint | Hallstatt Markt | 15 minutes | Free |
| Beinhaus (Charnel House) | Hallstatt Markt | 20 minutes | Low cost |
| Catholic Parish Church of the Assumption | Hallstatt Markt | 30 minutes | Free |
| Marktplatz | Hallstatt Markt | 20 minutes | Free |
| Museum Hallstatt | Hallstatt Markt | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Dachstein Krippenstein and 5fingers | Obertraun | Full day | Expensive |
| Echerntal and Waldbachstrub waterfall | Lahn | 2–2.5 hours | Free |
| Hallstätter See by boat | Lahn | 30 minutes–1 hour | Low cost |
| Soleleitungsweg (brine pipeline trail) | Hallstatt Markt | 2–4 hours | Free |
The 12 best things to do
Historic site · Lahn
1.Salzwelten Hallstatt salt mine
The salt mine in the Hallstatt high valley is reached by the Salzbergbahn funicular from Lahn. Guided tours lead through tunnels in miners' clothing, down two long wooden miners' slides and past an illuminated underground salt lake, and explain the 'man in salt', a prehistoric miner's body found preserved in 1734.
Take the first funicular of the day to beat tour groups and leave time for the Skywalk and the prehistoric burial ground on the way.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Tours run on timed departures and fill up in summer; reserving online ahead is wise.
- Iconic
- Kids
- History
- Rainy day
- Active
Viewpoint · Lahn
2.Skywalk 'Welterbeblick'
Next to the funicular's upper station, a steel platform juts out over the cliff about 350 metres above the village, with views straight down onto the roofs of Hallstatt, the lake and the mountains opposite.
Go in the morning, when the sun lights the village below and the platform is quieter.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Iconic
- Photo spot
- Couples
Religious site · Hallstatt Markt
3.Protestant church and lakeshore
The slim spire of the 19th-century Protestant church on the shore is the focal point of most Hallstatt photographs. The lakeside path beside it, past boathouses and wooden houses on stilts, is the village's most picturesque stretch.
See it at first light or after sunset, when the reflections are calm and the crowds have gone.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Photo spot
- Couples
Viewpoint · Hallstatt Markt
4.Classic village viewpoint
At the northern end of the village along Gosaumühlstraße, a small lakeside spot gives the famous view south over the houses and Protestant church spire to the mountains. It is a residential street, so space is tight.
Come before about 8am to take photos without queuing, and keep the road and residents' entrances clear.
- Time needed
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- Iconic
- Views
Religious site · Hallstatt Markt
5.Beinhaus (Charnel House)
In the small St. Michael's Chapel beside the Catholic parish church, hundreds of skulls are stacked on shelves, many painted with names, dates and garlands of flowers. The custom developed because the steep churchyard had no room, so bones were exhumed after some years to make space.
Take a moment in the terraced churchyard outside, with its lake views and iron crosses.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Religious site · Hallstatt Markt
6.Catholic Parish Church of the Assumption
Reached by covered stairs from the village, the Gothic parish church stands on a terrace above the roofs and has a carved and painted late-Gothic winged altar from the early 16th century. The churchyard and Beinhaus are alongside.
Climb the covered wooden staircase from Seestraße rather than the road for the atmospheric approach.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Art
- Architecture
- Views
Landmark · Hallstatt Markt
7.Marktplatz
The small market square, ringed by painted houses with flower-filled balconies, has a Holy Trinity column at its centre. It was rebuilt after a fire in 1750 destroyed much of the village, and cafés and shops face onto it.
Sit outside a café in the square in the early evening, once the coach groups have left.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- History
Museum · Hallstatt Markt
8.Museum Hallstatt
The village museum traces 7,000 years of salt mining and the Iron Age Hallstatt culture, with finds from the prehistoric cemetery in the high valley, including bronze vessels, jewellery and weapons, and displays on village life.
Visit before the salt mine to make sense of the archaeology you will see on the mountain.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Viewpoint · Obertraun
1.Dachstein Krippenstein and 5fingers
A cable car from Obertraun climbs Krippenstein in stages. At the middle station are the Dachstein Giant Ice Cave and the Mammoth Cave; from the top, a short walk leads to the 5fingers platform, five steel walkways projecting over a sheer drop with views down to the Hallstätter See.
Wear warm layers for the ice cave, which stays below freezing even in summer.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Views
- Active
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Nature · Lahn
2.Echerntal and Waldbachstrub waterfall
From Lahn, a level path leads into the Echern valley, then climbs through a gorge to the Waldbachstrub waterfall. It is a shaded walk of about an hour each way and an escape from the crowds in the village.
Go after rain, when the waterfall is at its fullest, and wear shoes with grip for the wet rocks.
- Time needed
- 2–2.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
- Kids
Experience · Lahn
3.Hallstätter See by boat
Short boat tours from Hallstatt circle the lake's northern half, and the small ferry to Hallstatt railway station on the opposite shore gives the classic view of the village from the water. Rowing boats and electric boats are available to hire in summer.
Even if you arrive by bus, take the ferry across to the station and back for the view of the village from the water.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes–1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
- Photo spot
Nature · Hallstatt Markt
4.Soleleitungsweg (brine pipeline trail)
A brine pipeline was laid from Hallstatt to Ebensee in the early 17th century, and the path that follows it runs high above the lake's western shore. The section from Hallstatt towards Bad Goisern is a level, scenic walk past waterfalls and the Gosauzwang aqueduct bridge.
Walk the stretch north from Hallstatt and take the bus back from Bad Goisern.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Active
- Views
- History
- Outdoors
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Catholic Parish Church of the Assumption and Museum Hallstatt |
| History | Salzwelten Hallstatt salt mine, Beinhaus (Charnel House), Catholic Parish Church of the Assumption and Marktplatz |
| Views | Skywalk 'Welterbeblick', Catholic Parish Church of the Assumption, Classic village viewpoint and Dachstein Krippenstein and 5fingers |
| Outdoors and nature | Dachstein Krippenstein and 5fingers, Echerntal and Waldbachstrub waterfall and Soleleitungsweg (brine pipeline trail) |
| With children | Salzwelten Hallstatt salt mine, Museum Hallstatt, Dachstein Krippenstein and 5fingers and Echerntal and Waldbachstrub waterfall |
| On a rainy day | Salzwelten Hallstatt salt mine, Beinhaus (Charnel House) and Museum Hallstatt |
What to book ahead
- Salzwelten Hallstatt salt mine: Tours run on timed departures and fill up in summer; reserving online ahead is wise.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Hallstatt?
Salzwelten Hallstatt salt mine. The salt mine in the Hallstatt high valley is reached by the Salzbergbahn funicular from Lahn.
+What can you do for free in Hallstatt?
Protestant church and lakeshore, Classic village viewpoint, Catholic Parish Church of the Assumption, Marktplatz and Echerntal and Waldbachstrub waterfall. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Hallstatt when it rains?
Head indoors to Salzwelten Hallstatt salt mine, Beinhaus (Charnel House) and Museum Hallstatt.