Things to Do in Hallstatt: Salt Mine, Skywalk

Best for: anyone who wants to see the village quiet, before the tour buses arrive and after they leave.

Keep in mind: the village is very small, so book early for summer. The centre is closed to traffic; overnight guests who arrive by car park at the P1 garage and use the shuttle bus that leaves from there (official info, October 2026). See Hallstatt hotels  Ad

Best for: combining Hallstatt with Salzburg, or flying in and out of Salzburg.

Keep in mind: there is no direct train; the return trip takes a few hours of your day. See Salzburg hotels  Ad

Best for: anyone in Austria mainly for Vienna who wants to give Hallstatt one day. We stayed in Vienna too.

Keep in mind: it is a long day; we left early in the morning and, after Salzburg, got back to our hotel in Vienna around 23:00 to midnight. For areas and hotels, see where to stay in Vienna . See Vienna hotels  Ad

The funicular climbs 360 metres above the village roofs. At the top, the Skywalk is a 12-metre viewing platform with a bird’s-eye view of the lake and the valley. A short walk further on is the entrance to the mine.

The mine can only be visited on a guided tour. It is 8 °C inside all year, and you wear miner’s overalls over your clothes. You slide between levels on the miners’ 64-metre wooden slide and ride out on the mine train. Children can join from the age of 4.

When we arrived at 15:00, that day’s tickets were sold out and we could not go up (Watch on YouTube · 8:39 ). In the video we said the combined ticket was about €45; the current salt mine ticket including the funicular is €49 for adults and €23 for children aged 4 to 15.

The funicular alone (up and down) is €29, and hikers who walk up pay €33 for the mine. Until 1 November 2026 the last tour starts at 16:30, and from 2 November 2026 to 6 January 2027 at 15:00; the last ride up is 30 minutes before the last tour, and the mine is closed on 24 and 31 December. Allow at least 3 hours (official info, October 2026). Hallstatt tours with the salt mine  Ad

Start your walk here. The square is ringed by flower-decked houses with wooden facades, and it is where everyone stops to catch their breath.

This is the church with the pointed spire from the postcards. Its tower is the one that stands out in the famous photo.

Most people only look at the shore, but a waterfall runs right through the middle of the village between the houses. The water comes down from the mountain straight into the lake; follow the sound through the side lanes.

If the crowds on the shore get too much, leave the main street and climb the narrow steps to the upper lanes. The crowd thins out at once and you see the village from calmer angles.

This is where the classic shot you have seen on social media is taken: the Protestant church over the lake, old houses leaning against the rock and the mountains behind. After walking the village street by street, we came here and had our photo taken too.

There is a queue for photos at almost any time of day, and the people living in the houses around it complain about the noise. The way to shoot it without a queue is in our tips below.

When we could not get up the mountain, we found a boat instead; they took us around the lake for half an hour for €14 each. For us, the best view of Hallstatt is from the middle of the lake, with the mountains reflected in the water. Once you are on the boat, you also leave the crowds in the lanes behind completely.

The official lake operator runs a southern lake tour for €18, from May to September at 11:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00. If you would rather steer yourself, an electric boat costs €28 for half an hour and a swan pedal boat €15 for half an hour; boat hire runs daily 10:00-18:00 from 1 April to 30 September (official info, October 2026). Hallstatt tours with a boat trip  Ad

When we arrived at 15:00, tickets were sold out. If you want to go up the mountain, buy your salt mine ticket online in advance and go in the morning.

Before the tour buses arrive, the village is quiet and you can take the famous photo without waiting. The easiest way to do this is to spend a night in the village.

Do not talk loudly outside the houses, and stay out of private gardens and jetties. Locals complain about the noise at the photo viewpoint.

We were so busy exploring that we had not eaten anything since the morning, and we did not see a supermarket in the village. If you are coming for the day, bring snacks and water.

At Bad Goisern, 6 km from Hallstatt, the average daily high in January is 2.3 °C and the low -4.4 °C; in July 25.1 °C and 13.4 °C (official climate data, 1991-2020). The stone lanes are slippery in the rain, so wear shoes with grip.

As we say in the video, winter is quiet and snow-white, but some things close: boat hire and the lake tour run only in the summer season (dates on the boat card), and the Bone House opens five days a week in winter (see the FAQ). The salt mine stays open in winter with shorter hours.

Austria is in the Schengen Area, so whether you need a visa depends on your passport; see our Austria visa guide . Vienna and Salzburg are in Austria too, so there is no border on the way, but carry your passport.