Hallstatt, Austria & vicinity

Travel Dates: October 2025

What to do in Hallstatt

There are many picturesque spots throughout Hallstatt. Here are the ones we went to:

• Insel Park – A peaceful little island park just outside the main town area with perfect panoramic views of Hallstätter See (Lake Hallstatt). There is also a free public restroom nearby.
• Marktplatz Hallstatt – A beautiful square, surrounded by colorful buildings and a handful of charming gift shops.
• Aussichtspunkt Hallstatt – Search this name on Google Maps to find the iconic postcard viewpoint of Hallstatt. It’s one of the most photographed spots in Austria for a reason.
• Pfarrkirche Mariä Himmelfahrt (Maria am Berg) – The path around this church offers lovely views of the lake and of Evangelische Pfarrkirche Hallstatt. If you follow this path, it eventually connects to the postcard viewpoint mentioned above.
• Salzkammergut Soleweg Trailhead – If you are able and have the time, I do recommend these short, scenic hikes overlooking the town. From this trailhead, follow the stairs up until you reach a fork in the path.
  • If you continue straight, following the sign for Parkterrasse, this route leads to two levels of parking areas with panoramic views of the lake. If you’re driving into Hallstatt, you’ll pass through a tunnel, and you’ll notice a pullout area—that’s the road to these viewpoints. Continue up the staircase (about five minutes) to reach the top for a waterfall.
  • If you go left at the fork and follow the sign for Müllerstiege, you’ll continue the climb gently up the hill for about six minutes for similarly beautiful views of the town and lake. The trail continues deeper into the woods and mountains so we turned around there.

Parking in Hallstatt

There are two main parking lots: P1 and P2. P2 is closer to the town center, but we chose P1 since it was closer to our first stop, Insel. Parking costs €5 for 1 hour.

What to do outside of Hallstatt

Dachstein Glacier – If you’re planning to ski, Dachstein Glacier is the place to go—but even if you’re not hitting the slopes, it’s still a beautiful spot to explore the mountains and enjoy the high-altitude views.

Tickets cost about €57 for a round-trip gondola ride if you buy in-person, and cheaper online. You’ll need to choose a time slot for the ascent, but there’s no set time for coming down, so you can stay as long as you like. Your ticket will be scanned at the turnstiles both when going up and coming back down, so don’t lose it.

Unfortunately, our experience at the ticket booth wasn’t great. The attendant was quite unfriendly and misled us about pricing. She told us to pay for the excursions once we reached the top, but it turns out that if we’d bought the combo ticket (which includes both the gondola and excursions) from the start, it would’ve been cheaper. The excursion pass at the top cost an additional €13, which gave access to:

• The suspension bridge
• The Ice Palace (a room with ice sculptures)
• And a short “stairway to nowhere”—a few glass steps suspended in mid-air for the view

While the mountain views were beautiful, this experience felt overpriced compared to other mountain trips we did in the region. The add-on excursions were a bit underwhelming.

Because Dachstein is a ski area, it was also the coldest mountaintop we visited. Dress warm—bring hand and foot warmers, snow boots, and hiking poles if you plan to walk around. The slopes can get slippery, and without snow shoes or sticks, it’s easy to lose your footing.

There are free restrooms both before the gondola and at the top of the mountain.

If you’re driving to Dachstein Glacier, note that you’ll pass through a toll booth where you’ll need to take a ticket. Be sure to validate this toll ticket at the counter at the top of the mountain before you take the gondola back down. Doing so will waive the €20 road toll fee when you leave.

Also, make sure to stop at “Dachsteinblick” (you can find it on Google Maps). There’s a small pull-off area where you can take a short walk up the hill to a stunning, peaceful viewpoint of the surrounding mountains.

Where to eat in Hallstatt & vicinity

Zum Bader Gastwirtschaft – A small but popular restaurant, and for good reason—the food is excellent. Because the space is quite limited, it’s not ideal for large groups, and there’s almost always a wait. We ended up waiting around 30 minutes for a table, but it was worth it.

The char fish fillet was flavorful, and both the Badergarten pork and chicken with mushrooms were delicious—the sauce was especially good, though a bit on the salty side.

Rührwerk Hallstatt Ofenfrische Schaumrollen – You can’t miss this bakery in Hallstatt, but be prepared for a line. You have to try the schaumrolle, a flaky puff pastry filled with cream, and the habsburger, which is similar to an egg tart. We got incredibly lucky—the schaumrolle we ordered came fresh out of the oven, still warm, and it was absolutely heavenly.

Weissenbachwirt – If you’re craving traditional German food, this no-frills local spot is exactly where you want to be. Portions are generous, and most dishes are under €20—a great value for both quality and large portions. Just note that it’s cash only, and they only have German menus. However, the owner was very kind to walk us through the entire menu and show us pictures.

The menu changes daily, and once a dish sells out, it’s gone for the day. We tried the goulash, Bierfleisch (beef stew cooked in beer), Surbraten (roast beef), and Geschnetzeltes (pork in cream sauce). Everything was rich, heavy, yet delicious.

They do close seasonally, so be sure to check their website before you go.

Pizzeria Kegelbahn – If you’re staying in Obertraun, this is probably the best—and one of the few—restaurants in town. With just a few dining options around, it does get busy. Conveniently, it’s right next door to our hotel, which made it an easy choice after a long day out. Besides pizza, they also sell pasta, grilled fish, and more. I was pleasantly surprised by how good their lasagna was.

Where to stay near Hallstatt

Seehotel am Hallstättersee – Hotels in Hallstatt tend to be quite pricey, so we chose to stay in Obertraun, which is only about a 10-minute drive away. Obertraun is also more convenient if you have a car, since you can’t actually drive into Hallstatt itself, so visitors have to park outside the village and walk in.

Seehotel in Obertraun charged a fee for parking, but continental breakfast was included, and rooms had a mini fridge. Just a heads-up: there’s no elevator for guests, only a luggage lift.

For those who do not have a car, the hotel offers an hourly shuttle service to Hallstatt for €2.80 per person.