HALLSTATT & SALZBURG

The drive from Vienna to Hallstatt was really picturesque. We weren’t in a hurry so we could take the minor roads and enjoy the scenery which grew more and more specky as we neared the village. The weather was perfect and we saw people were taking full advantage of it, out hiking, canoeing etc.

The roadside comfort stops left a bit to be desired. There wasn't even a hole or a drum under there!

This was one of many tunnels we encountered as we drove through Europe. Many are simply to provide shelter from avalanches in the winter. Others are built because there was nowhere else to go but 'through' the mountain.

We stopped to take a look at this old castle on the way and for a
comfort stop for John. I'm really glad I didn't need a comfort stop as
we both got hit by stinging nettles in the carpark.

Lake Hallstatten just before you enter Hallstatt.

Hallstatt is probably one of the most beautiful little towns in Austria. It sits on the south-western corner of Lake Hallstatter and the scenery is truly breathtaking.  High up on the mountain behind the town are its main tourist attractions, the skywalk and the salt mines. You get up there on a cable car similar to the one which takes you to the mountain above Hong Kong only somewhat steeper. The views are fantastic.

However, Hallstatt is most famous for its ancient salt mine which is the largest and oldest active salt mine in Austria. Apparently, men have been digging pure rock salt from the place for over 7 000 years. The tour of the mine was really enjoyable. I liked the ride down the giant slides best of all but the history and geology of the place is really well explained with modern and older-style exhibits. The slides were used as a quick way for the miners to get down from one level to another. We were also really interested to learn that the other salt mine in the area at Altaussee was the actual place where they hid the famous art treasures as in the movie “Monuments Men”.

This Shrine on the path to the mine is dedicated to Saint Barbara, patron saint of miners.

John all geared up for his foray into the mine.

We had to go in single-file as the tunnels are only very small.
We lucked out - we got to go through with a group of about
30 school kids. They were well behaved though.

The first of the two slides - we felt like big kids - but it was fun!

The ride out is on these seats, pulled by a train. The tunnel is very small and definitely not suitable for those who might be a bit claustrophobic.

We really found our stay in Hallstatt relaxing. Just walking around town looking at the lovely gardens and the little river that flows through the town was really peaceful, even though there were quite a few tourists there. Fortunately, most tourists come in on buses for day tours so by 5 pm it is fairly quiet. Cars are not allowed in the town centre and parking is limited. Because there is so little room to build, most of the buildings seem to cling to the cliff face and the architecture style is totally different to what we are used to. The following pictures should give you a good idea of what it is like to stroll through Hallstatt.

Our guesthouse 

Yes it really is a rose bush!

As we have noticed throughout Austria, people take their religion very seriously. There were two lovely old churches in Hallstatt and we were told to make sure to visit the Catholic Church which sits high up on the hillside at the northern end of the town. As well as an impressive interior, the cemetery had great views. 

And then there was the charnel house, where the skulls of deceased residents have been stored since the 12^th century. If they so wish, locals can still have their skull dug up  after 10 years, then local priests will dry it out, paint your name, date of death and a symbolic picture on it and store it in the charnel house. This frees up room in the cemetery which was becoming rather crowded, although these days we’re told fewer people are requesting to be stored in this way and the increase in cremations has meant far less pressure on the cemetery.

The drive from Hallstatt to Salzburg is quite short and really pretty. We stopped of at another little lakeside town called Koniggsee and had a stroll through town to the lake, where there were lots of people and some really unusual ducks on the lake. It is obviously a very popular family holiday spot as it was evident the place was geared toward tourists.

We got to Salzburg fairly early and it was just as well. The GPS became very confused when we couldn’t take the route it had set because of road works. And a word of warning. There are trams in Salzburg and if you see a white horizontal line crossing a lane and a red light above it, you should stop. Otherwise it is likely that you will be run over by a tram. After barely surviving the tram, we finally worked out where our digs were. But how to get into them. We took a punt on a back street and imagine our embarrassment when we ended up driving through a very crowded shared shopping area. There were bollards everywhere we turned and we thought for a while we had been sucked into a vortex. 

It was embarrassing driving down here!

Eventually we found our way out of the maze and pulled over to the side of a lane while I ran into the hotel. Gästehaus im Priesterseminar is an old monastery and really a lovely place, ideally situated in the old part of Salzburg. It is not cheap but it has a great location. 

The courtyard in the centre of our guesthouse.

Unfortunately, at the time of our arrival, there were major works going on in the lanes around the place and access was very limited. Anyway we eventually got our bags unloaded and found the Mirabell carpark down the street and got settled.

The old part of Salzburg straddles the Salzach River and there is lots to see here. Unfortunately, I had developed a fully blown case of flu by the time we got here (I’m sure I caught it on the subway in Paris) and although our first day was quite nice, with a walk through the western side of the old town, including St Sebastian’s Cemetery, we were not happy campers after a night of virtually no sleep. 

Local deadly treadly

St Sebastian's Cemetery - Mozart's dad is buried here somewhere.

As well as my asthma-like attacks with the flu, the pavement work right under our window did not stop until after 11 pm. We could appreciate their wanting to get the work done as it would have been horrendous for the surrounding shopkeepers. But we were ready to cut our stay short and head off next morning.

We decided to stay however, and ventured across the river to the other part of the old town. It really is a lovely city, very different from anything we had seen so far. Unfortunately, because of my flu we didn’t get to do most of the lovely things like taking the cable car up to the castle on the rocky outcrop which overlooks the city. There are lots of paths to stroll along up there as well as places for picnics etc.

The palace can be seen high on the hill centre-right

Anyway the east bank includes several beautiful old churches, the most impressive of which was the Salzburg Cathedral. It was the most impressively decorated of all the churches we visited in Europe. This video will give you a better idea of what it looks like. 

There are also the catacombs in St Peter’s cemetery to visit here, as well as the local markets which are set up in the old town are very interesting, selling cheeses, sausage etc.

Catacombs above hug the cliff with the cemetery below.

We also visited a quaint little bakery which grinds its flour on a traditional water-driven mill which has been in use for a very long time. Also worth seeing over on this side is the huge glockenspiel which plays its melodies at 11 am and 6 pm each day. There is also the Augustinerbrau, a beer hall which was founded by Augustinian monks dating back to 1621. But alas we were to miss the last two because of my flu. Anyway, I would recommend a visit to Salzburg if you are over this way. It is well worth the effort.