Hallstatt Austria

October 01, 2023

Saturday Sept 30 - Hallstatt Austria

We left Salzburg and headed to Hallstatt Austria. We drove through the in lower Alps and saw gondolas and lakes and chalets along the way. We stopped and toured Kaiserville on the way. Kaiserville was the summer residence and hunting lodge of Emperor Frans Josef and wife Sisi’s. It was in this lodge, in the city of Bad Ischl that the declaration of war for WWI was signed. It was Frans Josef’s nephew and heir who was killed in Sarajevo.

Some background of the lovely town of Hallstatt, Hallstatt Austria is one of the oldest inhabited settlements in entire Europe. Apart from being a UNESCO heritage site, Hallstatt is known for salt mine, ice cave and Hallstatt Lake, it has had an active working salt mine since approx 400bc . 7000 years ago there were civilizations here. 100 years ago every family had at least one person working in the mines. There is also an active archaeology site in the salt mines. In ancient times, rivers were highways. Mules brought salt to river. The Traun is the river flowing out of Lake Hallstatt and moved salt to the Danube - which moved the salt on to the world. You can tell there was trade with outside world as long ago as 7000 years. 800-400bc was the peak period of Hallstatt. There is proof that they already knew of keeping the gene pools pure by not inter marrying. Unfortunately the town of Hallstatt is becoming so touristy especially from China, that the locals are all leaving and there are less than 800 local people living there. After arriving in Hallstatt, we took an hour boat ride around the lake. Then after arriving in town, a group of us headed up the mountain to the salt mines so we could get a Birds Eye view of the area. Then I went on to look at the Catholic Church and the unique way they “rotated” their graveyard. The day ended with dinner together - fresh trout caught out of the lake. Tomorrow we move on to Vienna.

On the boat ride around Lake Hallstatt.

Kaiserville hunting lodge.

Frans Josef shot approx 2 deer/elk a day his entire life and he lived to be over 80. Before I was told to not take pictures inside, I took this one of all the antlers decorating in several rooms in the house. Whatever the household couldn’t use, the meat was given to the villagers or poor. No meat went to waste.

More of the hunting lodge. It sat on a beautiful property.

Random town picture in Austria where we stopped to stretch our legs

We passed Red Bull international headquarters.

A statue in Hallstatt depicting the mining community. He does not look happy.

Here we are about to get on the boat ride around Lake Hallstat. Gia is photo bombing me.

Pictures top and bottom are Hallstatt from the water.

Just a cool lake picture. The clouds were down low over the mountains.

Our hotel in Hallstatt, my room is the top left and had a cute balcony.

The top and bottom pictures are the view from my hotel room.

With the mountains above and this super picturesque town square, a friend that saw these pictures said it reminded them of Dr Seuss Whoville! I think I might agree.

Here we are on the funicular going up to the salt mine.

Here is the other funicular coming down the mountain, the ones going up and down use the same track except when they pass each other.

The picture above and the 2 below are from high up at the salt mine.

This picture looks like it is indoors, but it is a covered walkway that goes up steps and to peoples homes in Hallstatt. Eventually it leads to the Catholic Church. I though the door to the right looked like a Hobbit door.

There is not enough room in the graveyard, so for years, if you were buried for 15-20 years, then the body was dug up and the skulls dried and decorated and put in this “house” at the church cemetery. The last one was in the 1980’s. They say to now have your skull placed here, that you have to have it in your will. But they said that the population is mostly being cremated or buried elsewhere so there is room in the cemetery (for now).