"HALLSTATT" Page 1, 2, 3, 4

Things to see and do

The village itself may be Hallstatt's biggest attraction. Its spectacular setting, at the foot of cliffs and facing the often mist-cloaked Halstättersee, is right out of a picture postcard.

Hallstatt also has two museums that are open daily from May 1 through September 30:

• The Prehistoric Museum, with ancient mining implements and relics from Bronze and Iron Age graves.

• The Folk Museum, or Heimatmusem, which is a hodgepodge of Celtic, African, and American Indian artifacts collected by an archæologist who worked in Hallstatt during the 1930s.

The local church is worth a visit. Tne charnel house in the graveyard contains bones, including painted skulls, of the local dead whose graves are dug up after 10 or 12 years to make room for new clients.

A funicular will whisk you up to the Salzwerk, or salt mine, in a valley above the town. If you're energetic, you can hike up in an hour or so, or you can take the funicular up to the mine and walk back down to the village after the mine tour (available from May through September).

As long as you're in the neighborhood, visit nearby Obertraun for a tour of the ice caves. Obertraun also has a beach, making it a good place to stay if you're traveling with children.

For more attractions, see the links to Halstatt tourism sites on page 3.

How to reach Hallstatt

Trains stop at a small railway station on the eastern side of the lake. (You can also get off at Obertraun if you're staying there.) From the station, follow the path to the ferry landing, where you'll find a waiting boat that will transport you to the village for a small fee.

To plan a visit by rail, use the journey planner of the Austrian Federal Railways.

You can also reach Halstatt by postal bus from Bad Ischl, which is 12 km (7½ miles) . If you're driving,  see the directions at TIScover.at.

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