7 Best Sights in Hallstatt, Salzkammergut

This is one of the most impressive sights of the eastern Alps—vast ice caverns, many of which are hundreds of years old and aglitter with ice stalactites and stalagmites, illuminated by an eerie light. The most famous sights are the Rieseneishöhle (Giant Ice Cave) and the Mammuthöhle (Mammoth Cave), but there are other caves and assorted frozen waterfalls in the area. The cave entrance is at about 6,500 feet, accessed via cable car and a hike (or you can hike all the way), but still well below the 9,750-foot Dachstein peak farther south. If you visit in August, you can enjoy the Friday Ice Sounds concert series under the Parsifal Dome of the Dachstein cave. Tickets for these special shows include a cave tour and buffet dinner at the Erlebnisrestaurant Schönbergalm.

Be sure to wear warm, weatherproof clothing and good shoes; inside the caves it is very cold, and outside the slopes can be swept by chilling winds. Start before 2 pm to see both caves.

A unexpected peek into the Celtic past is offered at the DachsteinSport Janu shop. A decade ago, its intention to put a new heating system in the cellar unexpectedly turned into a historical excavation when workmen found the remains of a Celtic dwelling, now on view to visitors.

The Hallstatt market square, now a pedestrian area, is bordered by colorful 16th-century houses and this 16th-century Gothic church, which is picturesquely situated near the lake. Within, you'll find a beautiful winged altar, which opens to reveal nine 15th-century paintings. The Karner (charnel house) beside the church is a rather morbid but regularly visited spot. Because there was little space to bury the dead over the centuries in Hallstatt, the custom developed of digging up the bodies after 12 or 15 years, piling the bones in the sun, and painting the skulls. Ivy and oak-leaf wreaths were used for the men, alpine flowers for the women, and names, dates, and often the cause of death were inscribed. The myriad bones and skulls are now on view in the charnel house, also known as the "Beinhaus" (bone house), which has a stunning setting overlooking the lake. Each year at the end of May the summer season kicks off with the Fronleichnahm (Corpus Christi) procession, which concludes with hundreds of boats out on the lake.

Go back 7,000 years and discover the orgins of Hallstatt and its salt mines at this museum. The exhibits include holographic representations, video animations, and a 3-D journey through time.

Salt has been mined in this area for at least 4,500 years, and the Hallstatt mines of the Salzberg Mountain are the oldest in the world. These "show mines" are in the Salzbergtal valley, accessed either by paths from the village cemetery or, much more conveniently, via a funicular railway that leaves from the southern end of the village. From the railway a 10-minute walk takes you to a small-scale miner's train (tall people, beware), which heads deep into the mountain. Inside, you can famously slide down the wooden chutes once used by the miners all the way down to an artificial subterranean lake, once used to dissolve the rock salt. At the entrance to the mines you'll find an Iron Age cemetery and a restaurant.

Buy a "Salzerlebnis" (Salt Adventure) combination ticket from the ÖBB (Austrian Railway) that offers an all-inclusive value fare for travel to and from Hallstatt as well as the salt mine tour.

The same company that ferries train passengers across the lake to Hallstatt also runs three other vessels offering summer boat tours around the lake via Obertraun to the south (50 minutes) or Obersee to the north (80 minutes). You can also link boat trips with hiking along the shore between pick-up points.