Aren’t you sometimes just so happy to be surrounded by your friends? People who are completly different from you and yet so much like you. People who enjoy your company and you enjoy theirs, and who you can simply chill and hang out with. Sometimes I’m just so happy to be alive. I’m just so grateful for all the things I get to experience. All the opportunities I am given.
I have been to Hallstatt before, but I actually didn’t see much except for this one restaurant and the platform (which I talked about here). But this time I was actually able to see the town itself which is a number one tourist attraction in Austria for a good reason. It’s magical. I know that Hallstatt seems overrated, and it looks better in photos than it does in real life (depending on how good your editing skills are). But can’t we just appreciate beauty?
When we just drifted on our little boat in the lake, I could swear that I had never seen anything so serene. Watching the sun rays peeking out behind the sky-high mountain range. Letting the slightly late-summer wind breeze past you and letting the probably last rays of sunshine of this year tingle your skin. (as I get a million new freckles. but hey apparently some people think my freckles are sort of cute, despite the fact that they are super unevenly spread out.) These are the kind of feeling I’d like to never forget. I’m sorry if I sound super cheesy but I am just not ready for this year’s winter. Last winter was just so awfully cold and I just can’t.
Photography 
By Ida 
With Thanh
How to get to Hallstatt
From Linz:
- It only takes around 1 and little more than half an hour to get to Hallstatt by car. But parking spots are super difficult to get, so come early!
- By train, it takes about 2 hours by train. If you are lucky, you won’t even have to change the train. A one way ticket costs about 18€ and as far as I know you arrive on the opposite side of the lake, meaning that you will have to take a ferry to actually get to Hallstatt (which costs about 2.50€ per ride) but it’s apparently incredibly scenic.
Here’s a quick tip: The train ticket would only be 13€ if you get yourself one of those Austrian Discount cards (ÖBB Vorteilkarte). I think this would be really worth it if you are a student here. I mean it’s only 21€ and you get about 50% off on all national tickets for the whole year ??get ya self dat bad boi and start exploring.
I’m only writing from Linz from personal experience. If you are travelling from Salzburg, I have more written about that here. But I found the following guides (1 & 2) for the transportation extremely useful!
What to do in Hallstatt on your day trip
This will be your ultimate(ly useless) guide on all the things you cannot miss out on on your day trip to Hallstatt!
- Rent a boat on the Hallstätter See
This is a must! I think this was my favourite part of the trip. Right next to the “station”/dock where the large ferries from the trainstation on the other side of the lake arrives, there is place to rent this little boat, and I promise you, you won’t regret it. It cost us 20€ for one hour, which split by 4 people is incredibly affordable? It’s super private I mean it’s just you and your friends on a lone boat gliding through the water. You don’t need a lisence or anything like that. Since it’s just a simple steering wheel and a button to turn on the quiet and little motor. All you need are some portable speakers, your music and some good friends (doesn’t this sound like a spotify ad lol).
Quick Tip: I would avoid taking this midday during the summer, even though you can pull the shades above you. The heat may kill you (jks). But I highly recommend doing this on a late-summer/warm autumn day.
- Explore the town and visit Hallstatt Market Square
As you make your way towards the Hallstatt Skywalk (whether you may choose to take the cable car or you are crazy enough to walk up), make sure to really enjoy the atmosphere (despite the masses of tourists. Again I recommend to avoid summer because it will be packed with people) and appreciate all the colourful houses and the way they make them come alive with flowers and plants growing across them.
- Admire Hallstatt’s waterfront
As you stroll from the ferry’s dock towards the tourist information center, you will find a dozen of little streets that will lead you to the waterfront from the lake. If you are lucky you might even get one with a boat bridge (I think this is the worst english word I have ever heard. It sounds so unsophisticated) and just sit there and enjoy the view. There is also a whole front with benches on the way to the info center, for you to admire the lake.
- Skywalk
I talked more in detail in my other post, but if you have the time (and not just 4 hours in Hallstatt of which you decide to spend half of them eating), I recommend you to go up (I know it’s not for free by cable car) but it’s worth the view? It’s definitely mesmerizing what great beauty nature shows us.
- most of all take photos! but I guess you don’t need me to tell you that.
Where to eat in Hallstatt
- Bacht’s Polreich x
It’s not the fanciest restaurant or anything like that, but the service isn’t bad. The view is great, looking to the old town and a clear view over the lake. and most of all, it’s actually affordable. Your coffee won’t cost you 5€ like it does in all the other cafés and restaurants for once.
- Seecafé Frundsberg x
It’s a bit out of town and furtheraway, but good service, good food and amazing view. Unfortunately the space is quite limited so you may not get a place if you just want some coffee and cake on a busy day. Prices are in a reasonable range. More affordable than in the old town for sure.
- Rudolfsturm x
If you are feeling a bit fancy and don’t mind spending a few more coins to enjoy a better view. It’s above the whole town, at the world heritage view (gotta get up with a cable car. or walking if you are crazy enough), so you are overlooking the whole lake. That is worthwhile. But don’t expect the prices to be on the low budget side.
- Braügasthof x
I saw this café restaurant on the walk between the tourist information center and the market square. It looked incredibly cute, since it was so traditionally furnished in the open air right next to the lake. But it’s expensive. I mean it’s just more money than you really should be spending (unless you don’t care. then of course, do what suits you best haha).
Hope this helped and that you get to see Hallstatt too!
