Hallstatt in Winter

January in Hallstatt is winter and not a good time for "hiking," especially in the surrounding mountains. Average January temps in Vienna is 25F - 35F and the Hallstatt temps would be the same or colder since Hallstatt is higher in elevation than Vienna. And the mountains around Hallstatt will be colder still. And with "only a few hours" there, you won't have time to get into the mountains.

I have not been there in the winter, but I have a feeling that the place is pretty empty (i.e. half shut down) during the winter. I was there in mid-October a few years back, and it was obvious that things were winding down for the low season. I suspect "quiet" doesn't begin to descrbe what it's like in the middle of winter. Unless you're geared-up for winter alpine sports (and know what you're doing), I don't think you will have any options for "hiking" outside the town. I would definitely start calling ahead now to ensure that accommodations/restaurants will be open then.

Winter in the Alps are a skiers paradise. But the same conditions that make Alpine skiing some of the best in the world make hiking all but impossible... unless you equip yourself with some serious winter mountaineering gear.

There's lots of small towns in the Salzkammergut region near Hallstatt, and there may be more hiking options in the region. We stayed in St. Wolfgang a few years ago, and there's tons of hiking around there. There's information on the Austrian tourism website, www.austria.info. They should be able to answer your questions.

We spent one Christmas in Salzburg years ago and drove out to Hallstatt for a visit. There was fairly deep snow, maybe knee high. It was quite beautiful but not good hiking. Perhaps snowshoeing?

Regards, Gary