Home to one of the oldest and longest operating salt mines on Earth, the Austrian lakeside town of Hallstatt has recently acquired another, somewhat more salubrious descriptor, being… “the most Instagrammable town in the world”.
And this title may, in fact, be accurate.
After being featured on a popular South Korean television show, then used as a model to construct a Chinese replica town (and thanks in part to being named a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Hallstatt has become one of the more popular stops for anyone wanting to star in their own desktop wallpaper.
To fully describe our fairytale experience in Hallstatt, we must begin by explaining that shortly before arriving, we spent a few harrowing hours on the autobahn in a rental car not built for speeds in excess of 100 km per hour. We did however do our best to keep up in the “slow lane”, rattling along at an even 150. Here it must also be mentioned that during this drive, there were several animated discussions about the safety of driving with one hand while eating a half wheel of cheese with the other—a conversation that did not end in finding common ground.
Fast forward to turning into the picture-perfect town of Hallstatt, where we entered and immediately wheeled around to exit, finding a “prime parking spot” approximately one kilometre away.
After our leisurely descent into town on foot, we were met with one stunning sight after another: flower-filled window boxes, colourful storybook houses, a cobblestone square (lined with small shops), a winding lakefront with varied restaurants, and a steepled church at the water’s edge. It was gorgeous.
It’s no wonder this is one of the most visited towns in Austria.
Though there is an interesting tour of the salt mine and a few little things to see, the best way to spend time in Hallstatt is to simply wander around. The narrow streets and lakeside bistro tables are the perfect places to take it easy, sip a beverage, and contemplate the bravery of swans in their natural habitat.