Hallstatt - Austria

In spring, when the Inner Salzkemmergut emerges from its winter covering, the thraw fills the brooks, rivers and lakes with the remainder of its white splendour, there is a completely new side to this diversified region to be discovered - Hallstatt Austria.
Haughty mountains reflect self-lovingly in the crystal-clear water of Hallstatter lake. The Dachstein glacier feeds the Gosausee, generously doubling its coutenance. In the Koppental, charming brooks plunge into the depths from breath-taking heights, cutting through wildly romantic woods before they join with the river Traun. How often have you dreamt of getting into a time machine to travel to the past. A visit a Hallstatt is just like embarking on a journey to the past. An aura of culture extending thousands of years surrounds the village, which has grown from the narrow banks of Hallstatter lake up the mountain.

Yet it is not only the bizarre architecture which has made its way into the cliffs which makes Hallstatt and the region into a World Heritage. The rare flora and fauna are also extraordinary, as are the numerous archeological sites and the cultural continity covering seven thousand years. This long tradition and the tremendous natural richness of the area were the reasons why UNESCO declared the Hallstatt Dachstein Salzkammergut regin to be a cultural and natural heritage worth protecting. Although Hallstatt Austria remains the centre of this breath-taking holiday region, the region itself is so much bigger and diverse , extending from the Hohe dachstein in the south to the entire Gosau lakes in the west, right through to the Gosauzwang in the north. It is complete justification thet the region as a whole is considered a heritage which will delightyou anew every day with its spectacular salt mine, the Dachstein ice cave, the mysterious grave finds and its unusual natural spectacles.

The picturesque salt-mining village, 22 km from Bad Ischl, was built into the steep slope thet drops off to the Hallstatter See lake. A settlement already existed here in year 2500 BC. It has therefore become famous for its extensive grave finds from the epoch 800 - 400BC, the "Hallstatt time". Old houses, narrow streets, full of corners, a triangular marketplace, and two striking chuches colour the picture of the village.
The late Gothic church with its Baroque tower was built into carved out rock high up. It holds many beautiful frescoes, an elaborate carved and gilded high altar from Leonhard Astl (1520), and also smaller winged altar from 1420. next to the church is the famus "Beinhaus" of Hallstatt, where over 1200 skulls and bones lie piled up. Space was scare in the cemetary and so the dead were soon taken from their graves and laid here to rest. Visit the "oldest salt mine in the world" must take the funicular railway into Hochtal. Here you'll also find the famous burial ground and archeological finds of the "Hallstatt zeit" A brine pipe was used as early as 1595 to transport the dissolved salt to the drying area, a distance of 40 kilometres. This was certainly a masterpiece for those early times.