The Dachstein ice caves are not far from Halstatt. We caught the train to Obertraun, then walked to the cable car, which took about 30 minutes. There is a bus service between Obertraun and the cable car, and we caught that on the way back.…Read More

The Dachstein ice caves are not far from Halstatt. We caught the train to Obertraun, then walked to the cable car, which took about 30 minutes. There is a bus service between Obertraun and the cable car, and we caught that on the way back. You can also walk straight there from Halstatt by going around the south of the lake. One of the girls at the hostel did that, I think it took her about an hour.A trip to these ice caves starts with a 'sardines-in-can' style cable car ride, which is actually quite fun, unless you're claustrophobic and/or there's a smelly armpit in your face. Once you get out of the cable car there's still a 15 minute walk straight up the mountain to the caves. There are two sets of caves, the Rieseneishöhle and the Mammuthöhle. The latter don't have ice formations, so we only went to the first ones. You can only go in with a guided tour, and they're mostly in German, but apparently English tours can be organised. They do have sheets of information in English if you happen to get stuck in a German group and you don't speak German. These caves are well worth the €20 entry fee. The ice formations really are impressive, and the caves are really well lit. Our guide was really good. He gave us lots of interesting information, and he was easy on the eyes too. Don't forget to dress warmly, even in the middle of summer. They are ICE caves after all. There's a restaurant and a gift store at the cable car station. Close

We traveled east to Wien or Vienna. It was very warm when we arrived there and we had a bit of trouble getting oriented but eventually we found our lodgings. Vienna, like most big cities, can be a bit expensive but we found our least…Read More

We traveled east to Wien or Vienna. It was very warm when we arrived there and we had a bit of trouble getting oriented but eventually we found our lodgings. Vienna, like most big cities, can be a bit expensive but we found our least expensive lodgings here. Frau Budai has three rooms in her apartment listed in Rick Steve's travel guide. This would be the first time that we didn't have our own bathroom but it worked out fine. Each room has a sink and then the rooms share a single toilet room and a single shower room. It really wasn't that inconvenient since the shower and toilet are in different rooms. Frau Budai serves coffee in the morning (very strong coffee!) but no breakfast but at about $39 per night we can afford to get a little breakfast at a corner cafe.

To be honest, at first we hated Vienna. Our perceptions were influenced by the crowds, the heat, the cars, and the fatigue of travel. We couldn't find restaurants we were looking for in the Old Town but eventually found one place, the Augustiner Keller, which had very good food. Our first day in Vienna we also went to the Kunsthistorisches Museum and viewed famous works of art by Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian, Raphael, and Brueghel. We also had some of the famous original Sacher Torte at the Sacher Cafe. I had never cared for it back here in the U.S. but it is so good when it is so fresh. We had coffee with it and learned quickly that we need to order our coffee with milk in Vienna because they make their coffee strong!

We liked Vienna a lot more after a good night's sleep and it also helped that avoided the crowds a bit by taking the U-Bahn out to the Danube River. We also enjoyed touring the Schonbrunn Palace. Fortunately our guidebook had recommended calling ahead in the morning and making reservations so we didn't have to wait for a tour. The tours are very cleverly done. They have tours that are guided by docents but they also have a tour that you take at your own pace using a type of headphone (you hold it like a regular phone receiver, it doesn't go over both of your ears). The headset they give you is for a specific language (English in our case) and it starts and stops after each room. It's really rather brilliant.

That same day we also saw the training session of the Lipizzaner Horses. To see a full show you really have to get tickets way in advance but for a small fee everyone is welcome to stop by to see the training. We still had trouble finding restaurants; in fact we thought we had found a particular restaurant and later learned we were eating at a different one. No problem, it was still a very good meal for two for under $27 including tax. Vendors sold roses that had 3 foot stems and cost under $2 for three of them!

Another budget tip we learned from our guidebook was that one can go to the Opera for only a few dollars by buying "stehplatz" tickets at the Vienna Opera House. These are standing room only seats but they cost us only about $2 each and you can still hear the singing even though the view isn't too great. It was very hot in there though so we only stayed long enough to hear the Habanera from Carmen. It's probably the most recognizable of the songs.

Hallstatt is a small village. Forces of nature have prevented it from growing more. On one side the cliffs of the Alps crowd it and on the other is a beautiful alpine lake. The train station is actually on the other side of the lake…Read More

Hallstatt is a small village. Forces of nature have prevented it from growing more. On one side the cliffs of the Alps crowd it and on the other is a beautiful alpine lake. The train station is actually on the other side of the lake from the town. Each train is met with a boat which visitors take to get to and from the village.

We had reservations at a guesthouse recommended in Rick Steve's guidebook. It didn't take long at all to find the Gasthof Simony since Hallstatt is so small. We checked into a gorgeous room with a private bath and a shared balcony (three rooms shared it) overlooking the lake. The furniture was beautifully carved wood. Like most places we stayed, breakfast was included. Cost per night? 900 Austrian Schillings (AS) or less than $60 per night!

The first photo below is of my husband in the main square. We took this photo at 7am. We couldn't sleep so we got up and strolled the town before most people were up. You can visit Hallstatt as a day trip from Salzburg but lots of people do this so mid-day is rather crowded in town. We enjoyed the evenings and the early mornings best.

The major attractions in Hallstatt are the salt mines and the lake. We took a cruise on the lake and also took the funicular up to the salt mines and toured there. We hiked down from the salt mine and encountered a number of wonderful views.

The salt mine tour was a lot of fun. They have you change into miner's clothes and to get down into the mines you slide down banisters. On the tour we met a couple from Colorado. They had checked into our hotel that same morning and were leaving the next day just like us. We rode the train together for a while and shared e-mail addresses, etc. Meeting different people from abroad and home is one of the things we love about traveling via train.

My answer to this question is always, "why not?" Few places send the senses into overdrive like Hallstatt does. Steeped in (pre)history, built on the side of quintessential Alps topography (gorgeous limestone mountains), and famous for its salt mines (high up the mountainside), Hallstat welcomes…Read More

My answer to this question is always, "why not?" Few places send the senses into overdrive like Hallstatt does. Steeped in (pre)history, built on the side of quintessential Alps topography (gorgeous limestone mountains), and famous for its salt mines (high up the mountainside), Hallstat welcomes the traveler with open, yet quiet arms.

Every person I have talked to that has visited Hallstatt has been enchanted with the place! It is a mecca for hiking and mountain biking/cycling (bikes and hiking/climbing gear can be rented in town). Late in the evening--after the tour buses leave--it becomes magical!

Although Hallstatt is becoming increasingly well-known by European travelers, it still maintains its charm even in the peak season. Most of its inhabitants can trace their families back several (often times more) generations to the exact town (if not house)! It's a little out of the way for many people, but those that have been there make the journey again and again if it is even remotely possible.

My wife thought driving from Garmische, Germany to Hallstatt was a long drive (it is), but once she saw the town, she was amazed, to say the least. And so it goes with each person who I talk to that has been there!

I truly loved this place and wished we could have stayed longer than one night. After a hearty breakfast at our hotel we set out on foot to explore the town. The streets in Hallstatt are so narrow you can barely maneuver a tiny car through…Read More

I truly loved this place and wished we could have stayed longer than one night. After a hearty breakfast at our hotel we set out on foot to explore the town.

The streets in Hallstatt are so narrow you can barely maneuver a tiny car through them. In fact, buses let their passengers out at the edge of town because they are too large to pass through the narrow streets lined with close-knit buildings.

The village sits on a very narrow ledge between the soaring mountains and the beautiful lake. The steep-roofed houses literally cling to the mountainside. Most of the multi-storied houses are painted white and have teeny wooden balconies.

Walking along main street I passed a beautiful church with a tall narrow steeple adorned with a small white cross. Shortly the music of an ancient pipe organ boomed out, startling me. As I continued further along I could still hear the deep, rich tones of the music.

On one house I noticed a tiny, narrow wooden walkway from the window of a house built into the side of the mountain. Presently a little cat climbed out of the window, walked casually down the walkway and jumped into the street. How absolutely endearing I thought as I kept wandering!

Soon I encountered an old woman riding an ancient bicycle. She dismounted near a dock, removed a brown bag from the bicycle's basket and began feeding bread crumbs to a whole flock of swans.

Breathing deeply of the crisp winter air I retrieved my husband who was busily shooting pictures.

Reluctantly we climbed into our little skate of a car leaving behind this glorious little village.

My experience of Hallstatt never really leaves for long. Even now my eyes travel to the huge poster above my desk, treasuring the detail and my memories of this special village.Close

Near the quaint town square and church, there is an LL Bean-type shop. Nothing out of the ordinary except that part of the floor of the shop is clear glass which enables you to see part of some actual Roman ruins. The pre-historic…Read More

Near the quaint town square and church, there is an LL Bean-type shop. Nothing out of the ordinary except that part of the floor of the shop is clear glass which enables you to see part of some actual Roman ruins. The pre-historic ruins and archeological excavations are available because Hallstatt was actually the center of Celtic culture for centuries. Salt was tremendously important during that time, and the village was located near a salt mine. Miners have been discovered dating back to 1100 B.C. (actually the period of history from 1000 BC to 500 BC is referred to as the 'Hallstatt Period'). The Celts opened the treacherous Alpine trails into trade routes. The routes and villages were eventually absorbed by the Roman Empire before eventually being taken over by the 'barbaric Germanic tribes'. Today, salt is still mined nearby and the mine tours are a local attraction. If you take the tour, you get taken deep into the mine on authentic rail cars and use the miners' method of going from one level to another... steep wooden slides (good for a Kodak moment!).Close

Now I have to admit that the main reason we visited Bad Aussee was the name. The whole Bad Aussee/Bad Aussie thing was too good a photo opportunity to miss. After we had taken some stupid pictures with the sign at the train station, we…Read More

Now I have to admit that the main reason we visited Bad Aussee was the name. The whole Bad Aussee/Bad Aussie thing was too good a photo opportunity to miss. After we had taken some stupid pictures with the sign at the train station, we headed into town to have a look around. There’s nothing particularly extraordinary about Bad Aussee, it’s just a cute little town. It’s one claim to fame is the fact that it’s the geographical centre of Austria, and a monument in one of the parks suitable marks the spot. You will see the odd person in traditional Dirndl dress or Lederhose, but not as many as the travel guides suggest.

We were desperate to sample some real, fresh Lebkuchen (gingerbread), but for the life of us we couldn’t find the Ausseer Lebkuchen bakery, which is supposed to have a cafe and great views. It would have helped if the travel guide had provided an address, which for the record I’ve since found out is Pötschenstraße 146. We did eventually manage to find and enjoy some Lebkuchen in a cafe in town.

In a final display of immaturity, we made sure to take a photo of the mountain over looking the town, which bears the name of Loser. We were hoping to find a sign that said Loser, preferably with an arrow, but the best we could do was the street sign Loserstraße. It's supposed to be a beautiful drive up to the top, be we were short on time and cars. There were several postcards available featuring the peak, which our friends found in their letter boxes a few weeks later. Close

Hallstatt is part of an area known as the Salzkammergut, not too far east of Salzburg. It's located around the edge of a lake (Hallstätter Sea). The train stops on the opposite side of the lake, but there's a little ferry which is timed to…Read More

Hallstatt is part of an area known as the Salzkammergut, not too far east of Salzburg. It's located around the edge of a lake (Hallstätter Sea). The train stops on the opposite side of the lake, but there's a little ferry which is timed to coincide with the train's comings and goings. Don't dawdle though, as it only waits a few minutes before leaving. Make sure you have your camera out as the ferry approaches the village, because you're definitely going to want to takes pictures of one of the prettiest villages you'll ever see, and the view from the water is the best. Hallstatt gave it’s name to an entire period of history, the Hallstatt Period from 800 to 400BC.

There were people here mining for salt way back then, and their history is to be found all over the place. The little Beinhaus is the only real tourist attraction within the village. It's a little hut behind the church that's full of painted skulls and bones taken from the tiny church graveyard. It's weird and definitely worth a look. Make sure to take some time to just wander around the streets, they're very pretty and there's a waterfall too. There's a rather expensive local museum, but we didn't visit it. The excavations under the Dachsteinsport Janu store are free and pretty cool. You can take a swim in the beautiful lake if you dare, but the lake is fed by melted snow and is accordingly frosty. The Salzbergwerk is on the hill above the village, and can be access by foot or by cable car.

What makes this village so nice is all the really nice walks you can have. Those are the type of walks where you can take time for yourself to reflect on your life and who you are. It just shows how quiet this whole place…Read More

What makes this village so nice is all the really nice walks you can have. Those are the type of walks where you can take time for yourself to reflect on your life and who you are. It just shows how quiet this whole place is.

Your first option is to walk on the main street, it stretches from one side of the town to the other. If you start near the little harbor you will begin in the heart of the village near the main piazza whose name I don't remember. You will then continue in the village and eventually walk right beside the lake. This is one of the things I like in this place, near this large body of water and surrounded by those high mountains you cannot help but feel humble compared to those incredible, but simple, things you see all around you.

Once you are at the end of the village, near where th tunnel from the main road exits you will find a little path that will take you back to your starting point, near the harbour. Ths walk is a little different. You are on a little path in the middle of the wood, nearly alone. You can hear the birds and if you are lucky you might see some little animals. everything around you is green and alive. There is no way you can feel bad here. And if you are you just have to stop and to listen you will feel the wind fresh and invigorating and smell the earth. Once again this can become quite philosophical. The higlight of this walk is when the path crosses the little river that comes down from the mountain and goes through the village and in to the lake. I was there in late april in exceptionnally wonderful temperature (25 celsius) and when I crossed this bridge I felt the temperature drop really low. The water from this river comes from the snow that slowly melts away in high altitude.

On this path you will cross another path that goes up in the mountain near the salt mines. If you do climb there you will be rewarded by an incredible view of the village, sitting abruptously close to the side of the lake. From ther you can begin some other hikes, ask the tourist office about it. I just can't help be remember fondly what the lady at the tourist office told me when I arrived there:"there is nothing to do here". This is exactly why I loved Halstatt, no pressure to see monuments and visit museums, just a good chance to relax and enjoy the chance you have of visiting such wonderful places.

At the moment I don't have my notes on the name of the place where we stayed. (I'll add this later) It was the only hotel open in town throughout the winter months. I recall the aged proprietress telling us the hotel had been owned…Read More

At the moment I don't have my notes on the name of the place where we stayed. (I'll add this later) It was the only hotel open in town throughout the winter months.

I recall the aged proprietress telling us the hotel had been owned by family members for over 200 years!

Our room was a delight! There were two large windows overlooking the beautiful azure waters of the lake. Across the water was a huge castle. Pairs of swans swam past (did you know they mate for life?).

The room was furnished with two twin beds pushed together to make one large bed. The beds had feather mattresses with down comforters to keep us cozy. The stately headboards of the bed were huge with lots of handcarved details. Colorful handmade rugs adorned the well-worn wooden floors. An ancient wicker table and two chairs served as both writing desk and a place to enjoy a snack.Close