Hallstatt’s historic town center has a promenade right on the shore of Lake Hallstatt; at the same time, large-scale salt production here dates back to the Middle Bronze Age. The lakeshore and archaeology offer different perspectives on the same place. The World Heritage Museum, the historic reconstruction and the trails in the Echerntal Valley each add another dimension to this picture.

History across several eras

Today, the World Heritage Museum is organized into 26 themed sections. They cover developments from the Neolithic period and prehistoric salt mining through the Celts, Romans and Middle Ages to modern times and the present day. The exhibition spans a wide range of periods rather than focusing on a single era.

After a devastating fire, Hallstatt was completely rebuilt in the late Baroque style from 1750 onward. The reconstruction adds a later chapter in the town’s history alongside its long tradition of salt production. Prehistoric history and the rebuilding from 1750 onward are therefore clearly distinct chapters in Hallstatt’s story.

Archaeology and the museum

Hallstatt’s Iron Age cemetery is one of the world’s most important archaeological sites. It contains luxury goods from across Europe dating from 800 to around 350 BC. Hallstatt is the archaeological heart of the World Heritage region. The dates span distinct historical periods: Bronze Age salt production, Iron Age finds and reconstruction from 1750 onward.

The World Heritage Museum also offers a museum rally, which is particularly suitable for school students and children. If you’re traveling with children, you can add it to your itinerary as a specific activity.

Lakeshore, Skywalk and Echerntal Valley

The lakeside promenade is part of the historic town center. The Hallstatt Skywalk offers a different view of Lake Hallstatt, the UNESCO World Heritage town of Hallstatt and the surrounding mountains: its 12-meter-long platform projects out into the void. Check current access to the Skywalk before your visit.

The Echerntal Valley also brings together landscape and culture. The Hallstatt–Echerntal Valley themed trail to Waldbachstrub starts in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Hallstatt and passes scenes depicted by important painters of Austrian Romanticism. The Echerntal Valley also invites you to discover the landscape in its unspoiled beauty.

Plan your arrival and stay

Hallstatt train station is accessible only by boat. The boat service departs from the center, near the Evangelical Church. If you’re using the station, check the timetable for your travel date and factor the connection into your arrival or departure plans. From Hallstatt Lahn, where the bus parking area and parking lots 1–3 are located, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes to reach the center.

When looking for a hotel in Hallstatt, you can first decide what you’d like to focus on during your stay: the World Heritage Museum and archaeology, the lakeshore and Skywalk, or the themed trail in the Echerntal Valley.

Discover more destinations: Obertraun, Ebensee, Neukirchen, Sankt Konrad, Gmunden, Traunkirchen, Gosau, Roitham.

Back to the main travel overview: Gmunden.