Hallstätter See or Lake Hallstatt is a lake in Salzkammergut, Austria. It is named after Hallstatt, a small market town famous for its salt mining since prehistoric times and in present day a popular tourist destination. Hallstatt is the starting point of the world’s oldest still-working industrial pipeline, used to transport brine to Bad Ischl and further to Ebensee since late 16th century.
Hallstatt, a small town with a population under 1000 (2024 estimate), currently suffers from over-tourism during summer months with an average daily tourist traffic exceeding 15,000. This situation leads to a practical option of enjoying Hallstatt and the surrounding lakeside towns without crowding the small town itself.
A good location for viewing or exploring the lake is the village of Obertraun. The village is on the local train stops connecting lakeside villages of Obertraun, Bad Aussie and Grundslee to Ebensee and other towns in Upper Austria.
The village is a popular holiday destination with activities such as skiing and snowboarding in the winter, and mountain biking, swimming and kayaking in the summer. There is also paid parking locations by the lake on the outskirts of Obertraun with nearby walking trail and boat service to Hallstatt.
Now let’s take a walking tour on the other side of the lake, in picturesque Hallstatt itself! Join us in this virtual tour at the video below. Enjoy!
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