45 Winter Photos of Hallstatt That Will Make You Fall in Love With the Fairytale Land

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Hallstatt is a tiny little village built on a lakefront filled with beautiful swans with the backdrop of majestic snow-covered Alps. Doesn’t it sound almost like the description of a fantasy land where a Disney princess is trapped on the top of the tower, waiting for a prince to come and rescue her? Later they live happily ever after dancing to romantic songs? How is this even real? I mean not the love story of the princess (maybe it is, I don’t know) but the place.

After just seeing one picture of the village, I was sold. I decided that I would visit Hallstatt in winter. Are you having doubts about visiting this dream village? Lucky for you, I have more than 1 picture (Okay! Lots and lots, in fact) to make you want to visit Hallstatt immediately.

Where is Hallstatt, and Why is It So Popular?

Hallstatt is a village located in the Salzkammergut region of Upper Austria. It is a tiny village of around 800 residents, with colorful houses built on the foothills of the Alps around a vast lake. It is indeed very popular among tourists, but why?

Hallstatt’s history goes way beyond what we see now because the village is also home to the oldest salt mine in the world. The ancestors of this village had a reason to make this mountainous area their home, and it was not just because of the beautiful scenery.

Salt was considered white gold, and people had built tunnels and staircases into the rugged mountain to transport this treasure. Eventually, it led to the settlements around this area forming the village. Yeah, to any nice story, there is always a twist. Here it came as a landslide in the 16th century and a major fire in the 17th century. The beautiful houses we see today were almost completely built after that. 

Yeah, the salt mines and the scenery draw a lot of attention, sure. But, one of the famous South Korean soap operas, Spring Waltz, released in 2006, introduced this village to Asia. And also, there is a replica of this village built in China, and people travel halfway across the world interested to see the original village.

And yes, Instagram gets a lot of credit for making this village famous in recent years.

Phew! I guess that was a lot of history about this charming Austrian village. I hope everyone is already super excited to dive into the beauty of Hallstatt, which brings to the question.

How to Reach Hallstatt?

In Europe, they say that almost everything is well connected by railways. And that is entirely true. I always like when it is possible to explore a place without a car.

The journey to reach Hallstatt involves two parts. The first is reaching the Hallstatt Bahnhof Station, and we will get to the second part very soon. (Sssshhh! Surprise, keep reading.)

First Part of the Journey to Hallstatt

Hallstatt has excellent connectivity through trains with just a few transfers from many nearby European countries. I visited Hallstatt from the Netherlands, and I traveled by train. I took the Nightjet from Utrecht, Netherlands, and hopped off in Wels, Austria, the following day. From Wels, I had to go to Attnang Puchheim, from where Hallstatt is just an hour and a half ride through a scenic route covered in snow during winter.

But not many might take this route, so I will leave the best train routes from two major Austrian cities nearby.

From Salzburg

Take a train to Attnang-Puchheim, which takes around 47 minutes from Salzburg. From Attnang-Puchheim, the train to Hallstatt Bahnhof takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

From Vienna

Take a train to Attnang-Puchheim, which takes around 2 hours from Vienna. From Attnang-Puchheim, the train to Hallstatt Bahnhof takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Second Part of the Journey to Hallstatt

Haven’t we already reached Hallstatt? Yes, but not really. As you are on the other side of the Hallstatt lake, to get to the town, here comes the surprise, you need to hop on a ferry for a short ride of 10 minutes which takes you to the village of Hallstatt. The ferry point is just a few meters on foot from the railway station. The ferry timings are matched to conveniently take the passengers coming by train from the Attnang-Puchheim direction. So you need not wait a lot.

Ferry Tickets to Hallstatt

The tickets for the ferry are not included as part of your rail ticket, so you have to buy them separately. If you are returning by train, the obvious and more economical choice is to buy a return ticket which costs €7 per person. The one-way fare is €5 per person. (That is why I suggested a return ticket.)

Good to know! Carry cash and preferably carry some change. Also, you are not allowed to consume food while on the ferry. You could also bring along your dogs, but they need to be on a leash. 

What is the Big Deal About Hallstatt’s Ferry Anyway?

Honestly, it is nothing fancy. Just your regular small little ferry. Still, I feel there isn’t a better way to enter this magical land than by crossing the lake on the final leg of your journey and keeping your cameras ready to click as the best views of Hallstatt can be seen from the lake. You are in the middle of the lake surrounded by the Alps, and the colorful village looks inviting. And yes, I almost forgot the swans. How can you not enjoy watching them glide through the lake along with many little ducks and ducklings?

Sunset in Hallstatt Station’s Dock

Well, although my initial plan was to stay in Hallstatt, I don’t want to lie. The stays in Hallstatt were extremely pricey, at least when I was planning to visit. And then I stumbled upon a nearby village of Obertraun which was beautiful in its own way, and I decided to stay there. Check out everything you need to know about Obertraun in winter here.

As I stayed within walking distance from Hallstatt, it is not exactly a day trip either, but I guess it is alright to call it a day trip. I was so thrilled to visit this village that I ended up watching the sunset from the other side of the lake the previous evening. It was just me and Roopesh standing by the ferry point along with a bunch of swans, enjoying the sun sink behind the village through the mountains. Luckily for me, I was still able to see a beautiful sunset on a cloudy winter day. 

Reality check! I enjoyed having the entire place to ourselves without having a person to spot in the vicinity. A little ferry approached our side of the lake from the village a while later. It added to the beauty of the village until it docked. So many people from the ferry started flooding this little place. I still enjoyed one of the best sunsets, but I also want to set the right levels of expectations. Sometimes we just expect too much from a place, making it less enjoyable. It is possible to always have a good time here without the crowd.

Tip! The ferry and train timings are almost in sync, so you usually wouldn’t find people here at odd times, so we checked the timings to avoid tourists.

We had a pleasant evening and took the train back to Obertraun once the people from the ferry came back. It was time to stuff myself with so much delicious food back in Obertraun. The next day we were planning to visit Hallstatt by ferry.

My Hallstatt Visit

I think probably by now you have heard me say that I am so thrilled to visit this place, so I’ll control my excitement and move on. We decided to reach the village as early as possible as I am a special morning person. I wake up early only on trips (emphasis only on trips), and Roopesh not so much, but we did our best and took the first train from Obertraun in the morning. We could have easily walked, but we walked a lot the previous two days, including some snowshoe hiking, so we decided to save our energy for Hallstatt and took the train.

Only the train from and to Attnang-Puchheim are synced with the timings of the ferry and not the ones from Obertraun, which is basically one stop away in the opposite direction. So we had some time before the ferry would come, so we continued to gawk at the beauty of the place, and of course, we had some company. Some 5 to 7 swans and a few ducklings were enjoying their breakfast by turning upside down in the water and gorging on some algae.

The Hallstatt Ferry Journey

Minutes before the ferry was about to arrive, the train from Attnang-Puchheim arrived. Very few people got down as it was still quite early for tourists from Salzburg or Vienna to reach Hallstatt. Although it was freezing cold, easily around -6 degrees, we chose to stand outside at the back to enjoy the views.

It was a short ride, and almost the entire ferry was empty, so I had to take up the chance to click some spectacular views as the ferry approached the village. My hands would have died from cold if not for the thermal pads I had inside my gloves. It is an ultimate lifesaver and keeps your hands toasty warm the whole day while you are out.

This is such a romantic way to arrive at a charming little village. I can still remember how I felt like everything was so unreal when I stepped outside the ferry and looked up at the church tower, which was surrounded by pastel-colored houses. To top it off, all the roofs were covered in snow.

Good to know! We arrived only with a couple of people on the ferry. Also, there were only a few tourists at the dock who had stayed at Hallstatt the previous night and were ready to leave on the ferry. It still felt like a lot of people, as the village is small. This kind of takes away the magic a bit which is why many people feel disappointed once they arrive. 

Patience is Key in Hallstatt

Most tourists arrive by ferry, and luckily there is always a gap between the arrival of two ferries. So if you want to have a more enjoyable experience, the key is patience. If you don’t like waiting in line so others can finish clicking pictures, just grab a coffee like we did, have a snack, or wait. Most people move toward the viewpoint or the main square, and within a couple of minutes, they will be gone; this way, you can still get good views without crowds.

Coffee! Try the cappuccino from the small food stall near the dock. It is the first one you will notice when you leave the ferry. Just look straight, and you will find it with benches and tables outside the stall. This coffee might not be for everyone, but if anyone likes a hint of chocolate flavor with your coffee, then you will love it. I enjoyed the warm cup of coffee. The extra flavor felt like Christmas, although it was January already. (I can’t believe Christmas is already over, and yeah, the Christmas tree in the main square was long gone.)

Hallstatt’s Main Square

After a nice cup of coffee, while doing the short wait, we started by walking through the main square. It was small compared to the usual size in other places I have been. Still, it was so pretty! One side was covered by the seating arrangements of the cafes and restaurants, and the other three sides were just beautiful. I wonder if the people coordinate the color of their houses with their neighbors to look so lovely together?

We were just walking around the place covered in fresh snow. The weather was perfect, clear skies on a winter morning, the sun was shining from behind the mountains, not too bright where you could hardly see anything. It was the exact amount needed to lift your spirits, not that anything else was needed to warm your soul other than the perfect scenery around you. Still, the little sunshine was the cherry on the cake.

I was excitedly telling Roopesh (in my very shrill voice, which makes its presence when I am too happy) that we needed to go through every tiny alley and climb all those narrow, winding, icy stairs to check out the views from everywhere possible.

Hallstatt’s Popular Viewpoint

Later, we went to the viewpoint from where the classic picture of Hallstatt can be captured. It could be a cliche to take a picture from up there, as there were many more photo opportunities. But who cares if there are 100 more pictures? (My phone was not happy, though, but I was!)

Tip! Wear good winter boots that are comfortable to walk all day and offer good grip for walking on icy roads. (Yup! Very slippery. I was pretty sure I would fall.)

Hallstatt’s Beautiful Alleys and Houses

While walking around the village, staring at everything around me, wondering how it could all be so beautiful, I just spotted a frozen waterfall (partly frozen, the sunlight started melting the ice a bit). I mean, now I just have to find the Disney princess hidden somewhere.

I even befriended a cute snowcat. There is probably no such thing as a snowcat. It was a cute little cat as white as fresh snow. The cat was such a poser as he let us take many pictures. Mostly, I felt like he was waiting for us to take pictures.

Not just the cat, I met three incredible poser swans. They were just moving around, throwing poses, and plumping their feathers which kind of made the shape of a heart. We were even making up stories and dialogues of what they were trying to tell us while sitting on one of the benches by the lake. (I wonder if anyone else does this?)

Pro Tip! If you find yourself stuck with tourists, just climb all the stairs you see, most people won’t take up those icy stairs, and you will lose the crowd in no time. One of the stairs was covered with a wooden roof and had a bench to sit mid-way and enjoy those lovely views. (The place was so dreamy, and I wish I had enough time to write this post when I was there.)

We climbed several different stairs, kept walking and climbing, and ended up very close to the not-so-frozen waterfall. It was just in the middle of a tunnel highway dug into the mountains. Quite cool, right? I thought you could film some excellent action or chasing sequences in these tunnels.

Also, we had a nice view of the spire of the church. I was in love with the snow-covered roofs of the church. I spotted icicles hanging from the roofs. Some of them were in the line of sight because the houses were built into the side of the mountains. So sometimes, most of the house is below the road level, so the roof is level with your eyes. It looked so cute and tiny. Aww, I want to go back now!

We had something to eat here and there as we were not quite hungry. Still, I love visiting cafes, and we found an adorable one with some insane mouthwatering delights.

After some insane amount of walking, climbing up and down icy stairs and dubbing for swans, and souvenir shopping, we had to say goodbye to Hallstatt for now. We would love to come back and have another peaceful weekend and maybe bring my sunshine (my Golden fur baby) along if possible. Hallstatt is indeed a perfect little fairytale land.

Some Extra Helpful Information for Your Hallstatt Visit

Luggage Storage

Are you visiting Hallstatt with a lot of baggage? Just check with the ferry crew. They can help you with luggage storage options so that you can enjoy the village without having to lug your suitcase up and down the stairs.

Public Washrooms

You can find public washrooms almost everywhere, with clear signs directing you to them.

ATMs

There are only a few ATMs in Hallstatt. Some shops and restaurants accept only cash, so carry some cash in hand.

Must try! Take a coffee break and load yourself with some sugar-loaded pastries and baked goods at Maislinger. It was just too delicious to say no to. Well, you could maybe climb more stairs later in the day and compensate for it or not (who counts calories on vacation).

Where to Stay in Hallstatt?

Let’s see some of the best places to stay if you want to enjoy more of this fairytale village.

Bräugasthof Hallstatt (One of the best places to stay. You could get great deals if you plan your travel well ahead.)

Alternative Options

Other great options could be a wee bit pricier, though, but with Hallstatt, the stays are pretty expensive. But they have some enchanting views.

• Heritage Hotel Hallstatt
• Seehotel Grüner Baum

Want to explore more options in Hallstatt? Please search in Booking.com here. We use Booking.com to book all our stays and have always had a good experience.

Stay Options in Obertraun

If you are on a budget but want to enjoy some good stay options, consider staying in Obertraun like we did. It is the next village on the other side of the lake. Actually, you could even hike from Obertraun to Hallstatt and vice versa. It is kind of a hidden gem, but it also offers some great winter activities you can do while you are here.

Is Hallstatt Worth Visiting?

Many people who travel long distances just to see Hallstatt get disappointed that there isn’t anything to do here. But Hallstatt will sweep you off with its charm if you keep your expectations right.

Firstly, it is a small village, so it doesn’t have a lot of things to do for people who like to have a busy day seeing multiple places. It is a place where you unwind and let your soul wander free. You could still visit the museum and learn all about the history of Hallstatt. Take a ride up the cable car and access the viewing platform for some great views. Take a tour of the salt mine (It might be closed during winter).

It also offers some fantastic options to explore the region on foot. Climb the stairs, enjoy the view, and let your feet take you to beautiful places.