the storybook town of hallstatt

this is one of the loveliest & most magical places you will ever visit.
at least it was for us! i was clapping my hands with excitement to
have arrived in the storybook town of hallstatt, austria. it is heavenly.
i don’t even know where to begin with this town, so maybe
let’s start at it’s beginning. it is austria’s oldest town, and one
of the oldest towns in all of europe that is still inhabited. it’s
been said that: “before there was rome, there was hallstatt.”
it has a long history due to the salt produced in the mines here.
hallstatt is part of austria’s salzkammergut lake district, so the train
ride itself from salzburg will have you pressed against the window
in awe of the lake-hugging towns you’re passing by. it has to be one
of the prettiest areas in the world, and hallstatt is the pearl.
people have traditionally accessed hallstatt only by boat since
this town had no road access for centuries. today you can drive in,
but i recommend taking the train and then the ferry. it makes getting
here feel even more special and remote, plus it is such a gorgeous journey.
you step off the train and walk right down the lake path to meet a
perfectly-timed ferry which will chug you across the lake for 5 euros,
with the village looking like a pretty mirage across the glassy water.
nestled right between hallstätter see and the dachstein mountains,
you are arriving to austria’s most photographed village…for good reason!
this postcard-pretty town is not one to be missed. it’s also best when
experienced for longer than just a day trip…try to stay at least
a night or two to get the real charm without the day visitors.
we decided to stay overnight, and stepped off the ferry straight
to the heritage hotel hallstatt which is literally steps off the dock.
the convenience and welcoming style make this hotel worth it.
as hallstatt has become more & more popular it can be tricky to
find hotels, so book here in advance. it is simple, but a nice
stay right on the lake with the yummiest breakfast on the terrace.
plus, this lakeside hotel has views + balconies like this so..
it is pretty tough to ever want to leave!
we went hiking in the mountains above hallstatt near the salt mines,
and the views from here just got better and better. (more of that tomorrow!)
the flower boxes were on point here 👌
the houses dotting the hill almost don’t even seem real.
they are just so picture perfect, and how are they still standing?
the beauty of hallstatt is that there is not much to do other than enjoy…
take in the beauty, learn about historical buildings, walk the small town,
hike during the day, and in the evening…take a boat ride on lake hallstat.
there are a few little boat rentals along the water.
i was so tempted to do these swan boats, but we were
taking a picnic out so we opted for some rowboats near our hotel.
the glassy, dusky water was calling our names.
we picked up a picnic basket packed by our cute hotel, and set off to the lake.

we got out on the water for what would be my favorite date night of the year.
a picnic on a rowboat in hallstatt is really hard to beat. i even started
tearing up while on this boat ride, thinking of the magic memories
from the summer…all of them capped off by something like
this. that’s when you know you’ve gone somewhere special.
sometimes the simple things taste the best..especially when
packed in a darling basket and brought out on the lake.
look how glassy it was! ^^ the water was reflecting everything
so beautifully and i wanted to bottle up the moment forever.
traveling together makes me fall even more in love with this guy.

chase flew his copter from the boat which was pretty impressive/ scary,
but it captured this moment so i was happy he pulled it off.
hallstatt, i am still pinching myself that we got to experience you.
you seemed like a dream and i never wanted to awake!
thanks for the sweet memory near the end of our travels.
you are near the top of our very favorite european towns.

xo