Salzkammergut: A Road Trip Through Central Austria
As mentioned in previous blog posts, this summer will be mostly spent by exploring my own country Austria. One of the regions I have never properly visited so far is the Salzkammergut, located in Salzburg and Upper Austria. It’s famous for lot’s of lakes and pretty towns, so that’s exactly what I’ll be showing you today.
Hallstatt - is it worth the hype?
Is Hallstatt worth the hype? That’s a question I’ve been asking myself for quite a few years. The town of Hallstatt is located in Upper Austria, at the southern end of the Salzkammergut on Lake Hallstatt. Every year, it is visited by thousands of tourists every day ever since appearing in a Korean tv show. It is especially popular amongst Asian tourists who come on bus tours, spent a few hours and then head to another place or even country. That’s the truth - lots of them actually come to Austria just for seeing this town, and that’s it. There’s even a Chinese replica in Huizhou. The town is also part of UNESCO world heritage since 1997. But how is Hallstatt without Asian tourists?
Actually not that different. Lots of Austrians or other European nationalities took their chance at visiting Hallstatt ‘without tourists’. The number of people was still insane. I have no idea how Hallstatt actually looks with Asian tourists, but even with numbers of visitors that are considered ‘low’, it is really crowded. A little too crowded for me. That's why we decided to rent a small boat at Lake Hallstatt. Off the shore, it feels much calmer, and I can really understand what’s so fascinating about this town. Otherwise, it’s just too crowded for me, especially during times like these.
So beforehand, some told me it‘s a charming little town, others told me it‘s really overrated. I think they‘re all right. Hallstatt is very cute and romantic, but I know lots of cute little towns all over Austria. It is definitely worth a visit, but I do not quite understand why MILLIONS of tourists visit every year. Don‘t get me wrong, I really enjoyed my visit, and obviously, I get why it is protected with its houses from the 16th century, I just think the hype is a bit too much, and other towns should get way more appreciation.
Lake Fuschl
As mentioned, the Salzkammergut is particularly famous for its lakes, including Mondsee, Hallstättersee, Traunsee, Attersee, Fuschlsee and Wolfgangsee. Probably there’s even more. When visiting the area, I can only highly suggest you head to at least one of those lakes for a swim. I personally went to Lake Fuschl, the Fuschlsee. To ben honest, no matter what lake you choose, you can’t do wrong as all of them are beautiful and there are lots of different places along the lakes where you can relax in the sun and have fun.
Salzburg
This was my second time in Salzburg. The last time I visited was during the Christmas season, and I visited the Christmas markets. This time, it was a very hot and sunny day, and I had lots of fun seeing the city in a different light. The city is also the capital of the region of Salzburg and one of the prettiest towns in Austria. Just like Hallstatt, its historic centre is UNESCO world heritage. Salzburg is best known for being the birthplace of Mozart. You can even visit Mozart’s birthplace, which is located in the city centre.
One of the prettiest buildings in Salzburg is the Salzburg Cathedral, in German Salzburger Dom. This is where Mozart was baptized, and it’s very famous for being the home of 7 different bells. It was built in 774, but became the victim of a fire in 1181 and also of bombs in the World War. It took many years to rebuild it but ever since it is one of the most impressive buildings in this town. The entry is free, so I definitely suggest you take at least a few minutes of your time and look at the stunning interior of this cathedral.
Another very special place in Salzburg is the Mirabell Palace with its gardens. This place is even considered a cultural heritage monument. Honestly, I’m not the biggest fan of palaces like this, but I really loved the gardens. Ever since Franz Joseph I of Austria (you know, Sissy & Franz) reigned, the gardens are accessible to the public. And they are stunning! The funniest part of the gardens is surely the Dwarf Gardens, filled with statues of dwarfs, one for every month and some additional ones which are actually very funny looking. The Mirabell Gardens are very wide, filled with flowers and fountains, a rose garden and lots of vast space. Some scenes of The Sound of Music were filmed in these gardens. Up to this day, lots of locals head here and it is also popular among tourists.
I hope you liked this blog post about Austria and more will follow. I really try to keep a balance with blog posts about Austria and other countries, just to remind all of us that the world is a pretty place and there’s always lots to explore. No matter whether far away or close to home. If you are interested in reading more about what to do and see in Austria, click below to find more blog posts.
