Things to Do in Hallstatt, Austria: Walking Guide

Nestled on the western shore of Lake Hallstatt with the Dachstein Alps rising steeply behind it, Hallstatt is one of Austria’s most picturesque alpine villages. Located within the Hallstatt-Dachstein-Salzkammergut UNESCO World Heritage region, this historic destination combines dramatic natural scenery with a deep-rooted heritage shaped by salt mining. Explore its alpine setting and cultural landmarks at your own pace with Neywo’s free audio guide for Hallstatt, featuring 12 narrated places available in 11 languages.

What to See in Hallstatt

Hallstatt’s compact layout makes it ideal to explore on foot, revealing centuries of history alongside striking architecture and mountain views.

• Hallstätter See: Covering about 8.6 square kilometres, this mountain lake is roughly 7.5 kilometres long and up to 1.4 kilometres wide. The Traun acts as its main inflow and outflow, and the lake historically served as a vital transport route and the starting point for an old brine pipeline to Bad Ischl.
• Hallstatt Salt Mine: Located in the Salzbergtal valley above the western shore, this is regarded as the oldest known salt mine in the world and the oldest still in operation by Salinen Austria. Underground findings here date back to around 1500 BC, preserving remarkable Bronze Age and Iron Age tools, textiles, and organic materials.
• Hallstatt Museum: Housed in a protected former parsonage, the museum displays archaeological discoveries spanning some 7,000 years. Its collections include finds from local salt mines and nearby Iron Age cemeteries that established Hallstatt as the type site for the important Hallstatt culture.
• Catholic Parish Church Hallstatt: Completed in 1505, this late Gothic church stands on a rocky terrace overlooking the western shore of the lake. Also known as Maria am Berg or the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is a protected Austrian historic monument.
• Christuskirche: Set directly beside Lake Hallstatt, this Lutheran parish church was built between 1859 and 1863 to a design by German architect Ludwig Lange, replacing an earlier 1785 prayer house. Its distinct tower shapes the town’s lakeside panorama.
• Dreifaltigkeitssäule Hallstatt: Standing in the market square, this late Baroque Trinity Column is made of Untersberg marble and features an obelisk rising from a triangular base. Remarkably, it survived the devastating fire that swept central Hallstatt on September 20, 1750.
• Kalvarienbergkirche and Way of the Cross Chapels: Perched above the town, the Kalvarienbergkirche is accompanied by a series of small chapels—Kreuzwegkapelle I, II, III, and IV—forming a quiet architectural ensemble along the hillside.
• Dachstein Chapel: Situated high in the Dachstein Mountains beside the Simony Hut at 2,206 metres above sea level, this is the highest place of worship in the Northern Limestone Alps.

Explore Hallstatt with Neywo

Discover the village and its historic landmarks with a Hallstatt self-guided walking tour using Neywo. The app includes 1 walking tour (“Hallstatt: From the Way of the Cross to the Salt Town’s Square”) covering 1.73 km across 73 minutes and 9 narrated stops. As you move through the village, the app tells the story of each place automatically as you reach it. There are no groups and no schedules—just explore at your own pace.

When you are ready to continue your journey through Austria, you can also explore nearby destinations such as Linz, Graz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Eisenstadt, Dürnstein, Melk, and Bregenz.