Is Hallstat worth visiting? Hallstatt is a small Austrian town between Hallstatter See (Hallstatt lake) and Hoher Dachstein mountain.  

Situated in the Salzkammergut region, Hallstat is certainly one of the most picturesque towns in one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

In 1997, Hallstatt was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Hallstatt used to be known as a salt-producing powerhouse in the prehistoric times, but is now more well-known as the inspiration for thousands of desktop wallpapers, Instagram photos and travel videos.

6 min read

How to get to Hallstatt

First thing’s first - we had to work out how to get to this picturesque small town.

From Salzburg

Hallstatt is easily accessible as a day trip from Salzburg. It takes about 2 hours 15 minutes by bus, or 2 hours 30 minutes by train, plus a short 17-minute ferry ride.

Bus 150, 542 and 543 all take you from Salzburg to Hallstatt. The first bus leaves at 5:55am, unless you’re going on a Saturday, in which case the first bus leaves 8:15am. The last bus returning back to Salzburg usually leaves from 5-6:20pm. Please check the bus schedules for further information.

If you plan to take the train, visit the Australian National OEBB Website to book your tickets. The first train leaves at around 5:12am, and the last train back to Salzburg leaves at 6:32pm. Remember to factor in the 17-minute ferry journey, though!

If you’re driving, the ride will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes, which is significantly shorter than other modes of transport. Because of the clear time-saving benefit, we opted to drive. You can also visit Hallstatt as part of a longer day trip, seeing other destinations in the surroundings. We usually use Europcar to rent our cars, and we haven’t had a problem with them so far.

From Vienna

If you’re coming from Vienna, it takes 4 hours by train or over 3 hours by car.

The iconic shot and increase in tourism

Hallstat has seen a massive increase in tourism over the years. One photograph in particular, has captured the eyes of many. It is the view of Hallstat town overlooking the Hallstatter see, while dramatic Austrian mountains tower in the background. 

This view has been world famous for - literally - centuries, and has been taken over, and over again. 

On any given day, Hallstatt is crowded with tourists – a disproportionate amount compared to the size and population of this small town. These tourists are looking to get that same money shot as everyone else is.

Just for comparison’s sake – the population of Hallstat is 800, but in 2018, the small town drew more than 1 million visitors. Truly astonishing!

Hallstatt’s increase in tourism over the 21st century - particularly with the rise of Instagram and other social media platforms - has been sudden. The Washington Post even recently published a piece in August 2019, detailing Hallstatt’s efforts to actually reduce the number of tourists flocking in. The mayor has even gone as far as proposing to reduce tour bus access by a third of current levels.

So with all that said and done, Is Hallstatt Overrated? We investigate further.

Things to do in Hallstatt

We might be going out on a limb here but... there really isn’t that much to do in Hallstatt. Even though Hallstatt is undeniably beautiful, it felt like a bit of an ‘empty’ day trip. We couldn’t help feel that we could have seen a lot more if we explored another part of Austria.

Still, here are some of the things you can check out while you’re here.

1) Get that iconic shot of Hallstatt Old Town

Of course, this had to be number one on our list considering the fame and popularity of this photo. We went on a rainy day, so it didn’t look quite the way we wanted (it still looked pretty cool, though). It’s actually supposed to look like the second picture on a beautiful summer’s day!

We’re not going to lie - it’s definitely a nice shot to take and the photo does have that ‘wow’ factor, but everyone who’s been to Hallstatt will literally have this photo on their phones, which surely loses a bit of the novelty of the whole experience.

You can get that iconic shot by walking through the town until you reach the viewing platform. It shouldn’t be too hard to find.

2) Hallstatter See

Hallstatter See is the lake in front of Hallstatt town, and it is definitely a picturesque, scenic lake. The water is kind of a blue-green hue and looks great on a sunny day. As you can see, we visited on a gloomy day.

If you want, you can enjoy the lake by taking a small boat out.

3) Hallstatt Old Town

Hallstatt Old Town is compact, cute, colourful and easy to walk around. Lots of opportunities to take a happy snap here.

It is a very small town, and it only takes about 20 minutes walking at a slow pace to cover the main area of the Old Town.

There are heaps of cute-looking houses, restaurants, and cafés to occupy your time here.

4) Central Square Marktplatz

This colourful and homely-looking square is another famous part of Hallstatt. Definitely makes for another cute picture.

5) Hallstatt Sky Walk – Welterbeblick

We didn’t visit the Hallstatt Sky Walk since it was raining heavily on the day we visited, but the views up there do look absolutely gorgeous when the weather is good.

We would recommend you do the Sky Walk if it’s not raining. Check Hallstatt’s Instagram Story for live updates on the view up there.

6) Salzwelten

The Salzwelten experience features a funicular railway that will take you up to a few salt mines where you can learn more about the history of Hallstatt and its salt mining roots. Again, we didn’t do this, but we hear that it’s quite fun and interactive.

7) Hallstatt Ossuary

This is basically a small house filled with painted skulls – a cemetery with a twist, if you will.

You wouldn’t really spend that much time here as there’s not too much to see, but it is pretty interesting.

8) Museum Hallstatt

Museum Hallstatt is a museum highlighting the history of Hallstatt. It could be a good way to kill a few hours if you’re in Hallstatt, but we wouldn’t come from Salzburg or Vienna to see this one alone.

9) Hallstatt Lutheran Church and Parish of the Assumption Church

These churches are compact and cute. The interior of the churches are rather average, but you could visit these churches if you’re in Hallstatt already.

Final Verdict – Is Hallstatt Worth Visiting?

It’s not that we didn’t like Hallstatt – in fact, we think that it’s extremely pretty, photogenic, and Instagram-worthy.

In saying that, we don’t feel that it’s worth it to come out all the way to Hallstatt just to get that one picture. If you’re going to visit Hallstatt, take more time to do a few things – get the picture, do the Skywalk, tour the salt mines, walk around, row around the lake, explore the café’s...you get the picture (see what we did there?).

Our final opinion is that while Hallstatt is still a pretty enjoyable day trip, it is a little overrated. There are things to do here, but not many of them are must-sees. Plus, if you encounter poor weather, there’s even less things to do in Hallstatt.

It’s also important to remember that a destination is more than just a picture everyone has taken. Traveling should not be about going to places merely because everyone else has visited that place as well. It’s about exploring, absorbing and immersing yourself into experiences you’ve never experienced before.

Alternatives to Hallstatt

Given the sheer number of visitors that visit Hallstatt compared to other similar towns, we thought we’d provide a few alternatives you could check out if you’re looking to visit somewhere else. While, admittedly, you might not get a picture like that iconic shot of Hallstatt, you might find the experience a whole lot more authentic and original. Most of these towns are pretty quiet - certainly not as packed with tourists as Hallstatt is, and equally as beautiful.

So, is Hallstatt overrated? In short, yes. We liked Hallstatt, don’t get us wrong, but we don’t think it quite lives up to all the hype – and that is by no means Hallstatt’s fault. We encourage you to visit other similar towns in the area so you can compare for yourself.

Should you still visit? Well that decision is totally up to you.

Visited, or planning to visit Hallstatt? Have a different opinions than us? Share this post by clicking the social links below!

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