Almost the Best View of Lake Hallstatt

As soon as we emerged from the tunnel connecting Hallstatt to its parking lot inside a mountain, we knew we had arrived at the site of one the most well known photographs in the world – the picturesque Gothic parish church of Hallstatt and its equally picturesque little village set on the shores of the Hallstattersee (Lake Hallstatt). This is a knock out scene. Try to make it on sunny day.

That said, as quaint villages go, Hallstatt is not our favorite, not even in Austria, an honor that goes to Lofer. But still, it is a remarkably attractive place. It takes but a moment to walk from one end of town to the other along the lake, and maybe an hour to explore every street in town. Then head for the south end of town (away from the church), for meal or at least a beer at one of the lakeshore restaurants, where, for high prices, you can relax and absorb the spectacular view. 

The lake is 5 by 1½ miles, set in a mountain valley where the heavily forested dark green mountains seem to
shoot straight up from the water’s edge, one of the greatest Alpine lake settings. Boat rides on the lake are available.

Hallstatt is one of the oldest known settlements north of Italy. There is an 30,000 year old village now under water near Hallstatt town. Although once you take in the setting, there is not much to do in Hallstatt, there is much to do and see in the vicinity if you are traveling by car, so it can be your base for a couple days. We stayed overnight in
Hallstatt and the next morning headed 4 miles south down the road to the tram assent to the glaciers and ice
caves of the mighty Dachstein.

Another short drive to the west brought us to the shores of the Gosausee, our favorite Alpine lake.

Quick Tips:

Although we have stayed in Hallstatt, we prefer other places in the area, in this order: Gosausee, at the lake, perhaps an even more spectacular setting than Hallstatt, even if the lake was created by a dam; or Bad Ischl, where the Emperor vacationed; or Bad Aussee, where Mahler spent the summer.

As impressive as the view is from Hallstatt, we like the view of Hallstattersee better from across the lake at the Snack Bar on Rt 145 between Bad Ischl and Bad Aussee. Leave Bad Ischl going toward Bad Aussee. The highway climbs the mountain. About two-thirds of the way to the top, the road makes a hairpin turn to the left. You will see a parking lot on your left, tucked into the bend in the road. Park here. Walk to the downhill corner of the parking lot nearest the highway to the tunnel under the road. The best views are from the terrace in front of the snack bar. Below,
ringed by cliffs and high mountain walls lies Lake Hallstatt. At the far end of the lake towers the mighty Dachstein, its glaciers sparkling in the midsummer sun.

Best Way To Get Around:

Don’t even think of driving into town unless you are staying at a hotel with a parking lot. No train service.

A pleasant day’s drive is to circle the lake. Scenic highways, with stops as described above at the Snack Bar and to ascend the Dachstein.

Hallstatt is on the southern edge of the famous Salzkammergut lake district.

We have spent somewhere between four and ten nights in and around Hallstatt, and only one hotel stands out
as meriting attention, the hotel at Lake Gosau. But before discussing why it is special, a word to the wise on hotels in Austria.

We weren’t to far into our 15 trips to Austria before we realized that we could throw away the guide books hotel recommendations. There are no bad hotels in Austria, so you don’t need guide books. I’ve checked post trip and found nobody recommends most of the places we’ve liked best.  I think that is because guide books tend to focus on hotels that meet some preconceived notion of what American’s want in a hotel room, and these tend to be more expensive than most and in no way a better hotel. After a few years experimentation, here’s how we do it (this also works in Germany).

In late afternoon, we decide to find a hotel. We drive around a bit looking at places. When we see a hotel whose looks we like, we stop and check the state plaque by the door (explained later). If that’s OK, we look at room. If that’s OK, we stay there. I don’t think we ever rejected a place. We have never been disappointed. Only once was our first choice hotel full (we never travel in Europe mid-July-August, when the crowds hit).

The government rates all hotels in the country from 1 to 5 stars by the amenities provided. The star system is good guide to cost. All categories are clean, neat, and tidy, so you can be guided by cost or comfort level in where you stay. The government rating is posted on a brass plaque near the entrance that gives the name of the hotel, and under the name, the stars. The only iffy category is one star, which means the bathroom may be shared and down the hall.

The road to the Gosausee climbs a pastoral Alpine river valley at the west end of the mighty Dachstein and ends in a parking lot on the shore of the lake. We got out of the car, looked at the view, saw a hotel at the edge of the parking lot, and I said, "Let’s stay here tonight." Once you see the view, you will understand how easy this decision was.

I asked for a room for two for one night (in German) with a view of the lake (in English), please (in German) and we were promptly accommodated with a nicely furnished though small, comfortable room on the second floor overlooking the lake. As expected, the room and hotel met the high standards of Austrian hotels, and was especially quiet as there was no traffic for miles around.

Turned out the hotel was primarily a ski lodge, and we arrived in low, low season. I think we were the only people staying there that night. Notably cheap too, for the level of quality.