With pastel-hued homes, swans and towering mountains on either side of a glassy green lake, Hallstatt looks like some kind of greeting card for tranquillity. Now a Unesco World Heritage Site, Hallstatt was settled 4500 years ago and over 2000 graves have been discovered in the area, most of them dating from 1000 to 500 BC.
SalzweltenMINE
The fascinating Salzwelten is situated high above Hallstatt on Salzberg (Salt Mountain) and is the lake's major cultural attraction. The German–English tour details how salt is formed and the history of mining, and takes visitors down into the depths on miners' slides – the largest is 60m, during which you have your photo taken.
BeinhausCHURCH
This small charnel house contains rows of neatly stacked skulls, painted with decorative designs and the names of their former owners. Bones have been exhumed from the overcrowded graveyard since 1600, and the last skull in the collection was added in 1995.
Hallstätter SeeLAKE
(boat hire per hr from €11)
You can hire boats and kayaks to get out on the lake, or scuba dive with the Tauchclub Dachstein www.dive-adventures.at; intro course from €35).
OTHER TOWNS WORTH A VISIT
Fancy exploring further? Here are some towns, resorts and valleys in Austria that you may want to consider for day trips or longer visits.
Zillertal Storybook Tyrol, with a steam train, snow-capped Alps and outdoor activities aplenty.
Bad Ischl Handsome spa town and a fine base for visiting the region's five lakes.
Zell am See An alpine beauty on the shores of its namesake lake. Gateway to the epic Grossglockner Road.
Eisenstadt The petite capital of Burgenland is known for its wonderful palace and famous former resident, composer Haydn.
Schladming Styrian gem in the glacial Dachstein mountains. Great for skiing, hiking, biking and white-water rafting on the Enns River.
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